Monday, August 23, 2021

Massive Nurse Shortage Hits Houston-Weeks After 150 Unvaccinated Nurses and Hospital Workers Fired

Bridges was one of more than 150 hospital workers fired by Houston Methodist hospital.

Two months after firing unvaccinated hospital staff, Houston Methodist is one of several area hospitals experiencing a severe shortage of medical personnel.

In an editorial published Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle said the 25-county hospital area that includes Houston had more patients in hospital beds-more than 2,700-than at any point in 2021.

Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, a private Houston hospital jointly owned by Baylor College and a local healthcare system, said the hospital "Is definitely being impacted" by the nurse shortage.

That Houston Methodist hospital didn't intend to exacerbate its shortage of hospital staff goes without saying, but it's also an important reminder about what economists call the Cobra Effect.

The unintended consequence was a shortage of nurses and other hospital workers during a deadly pandemic.

Two months before Houston Methodist fired its workers, Harris Health System officials announced they would not be requiring hospital workers to get vaccinated, noting none of the vaccines were fully approved by the FDA. Americans will of course disagree about which CEO's approach was the correct one.

https://fee.org/articles/massive-nurse-shortage-hits-houston-weeks-after-150-unvaccinated-nurses-and-hospital-workers-fired/amp?utm_source=GeorgiaLogCabin&__twitter_impression=true 

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