Allegheny Health Network Launches Unique Mobile Internal Staffing Model to Improve Recruitment, Retention of Nurses

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing efforts to better recruit and retain talented health professionals amid the significant labor shortages impacting the healthcare industry, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today the launch of a new mobile  internal staffing model that will provide flexible work life solutions for nurses, surgical technologists, and other team members.

Called "Work Your Way," the new AHN program is seeking qualified internal and external applicants to work rotational shifts in telemetry, critical care, perioperative care and emergency medicine at the following AHN hospitals: Allegheny General, West Penn, Forbes, Jefferson, Wexford, Canonsburg, Allegheny Valley and Saint Vincent. The positions offer premium pay as well as mileage reimbursement for those traveling more than 50 miles to work and lodging reimbursement for those traveling more than 75 miles to work.

"The severe nursing shortage across the nation continues to affect all hospitals and health systems. Creating and executing innovative solutions helps us address the staffing challenge and at AHN we are doing just that," said AHN Chief Nurse Executive Claire Zangerle, DNP, RN, FAAN. "Our new mobile internal staffing program is one of many solutions relative to the staffing challenges. It's also an opportunity for nurses who are interested in joining AHN's community of nursing in a unique way with competitive wages, excellent benefits, and the flexibility of practice at different AHN hospitals.

"Interest in this program is high, and several nurses have already signed on as members of the internal staffing team," Zangerle said. "We are confident this model will greatly reduce our reliance on contracted agency nurses and provide our employees with a unique work option that suits their individual needs and preferences."

Zangerle said nurses at AHN are empowered to practice at their highest level in all settings, putting the patient at the center of their work by embracing evidence-based practices and collaborating across clinical disciplines.

"The "Work Your Way" nurse lifestyle program at AHN provides nurses with the freedom and flexibility they told us they wanted – choosing how they want to work, with various options to the mobile internal staffing team, including a 'weekend warrior' program for those who prefer to work weekends and a 'night owl' program for those who prefer to work the night shifts," Zangerle said.

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network