For many health care employers, finding enough surgical technologists (STs) has never been more trying. According to a 2022 survey, 83 percent of health care executives named a shortage of surgical techs as a staffing problem.
Even when STs can be found, because of low pay, burnout and competitor signing bonuses, there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around. Health care providers need a more sustainable solution in addressing the surgical tech shortage.
How MedCerts Approaches Training Surgical Techs Differently
The MedCerts Surgical Technologist Training Program curriculum is online, allowing students to learn at their own pace. The virtual format also increases flexibility in where training programs can be offered. This reach is especially important in rural areas, which often lack local training options.
Additionally, MedCerts turns learners into job-ready surgical technologists more quickly than other programs. The MedCerts ST program takes 18 weeks to complete, compared with the two years it typically takes to earn an associate degree in surgical technology.
Learners who successfully complete the MedCerts ST program earn the Tech in Surgery – Certified (TS-C) credential from the National Center for Competency Testing.
Pacific Surgery Center: Overcoming The Lack of Rural Candidates
After years of struggling to fill ST positions, the Pacific Surgery Center (PSC) in rural Poulsbo, Washington, partnered with MedCerts. Students accepted into its ST program were assigned an experienced preceptor, who supplemented the virtual modules with hands-on labs.
PSC has sponsored five employees through the ST program. The success of the popular program helped justify the recent addition of a fourth operating room.
San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center: Finding A Long-term Staffing Solution
San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center (SLV Health) in Alamosa, Colorado, needed a faster and more effective training pipeline and turned to MedCerts.
SLV Health used MedCerts to upskill current workers and train new hires, including some with no medical background. In exchange for SLV Health covering the program tuition cost, learners agreed to work at the medical center for two years.
The program has been a complete success with seven program participants, all of whom graduated. Four became certified STs and three became surgical/sterile processing technologists. All of the program graduates still work at SLV Health.
Conclusion
Health care employers need a new approach to employee training. MedCerts Partner Solutions provides that innovation, offering a sustainable way to train and retain surgical techs, even in rural communities.
Want more information on how MedCerts Partner Solutions can solve your surgical tech shortage? Contact us at [email protected] to learn more!