The Future of the Health Care Workforce: Virtual Care, Borderless Recruiting and Remote Working

On top of keeping frontline workers safe and the community at large healthy from the burgeoning virus threat, IU Health had to undergo a massive overhaul of its operations overnight. One of the biggest challenges was helping the organization feel like it was connected. CEO Dennis Murphy sent out video communications on a weekly cadence for the first six months to ensure people felt connected.  

“You’re going to need individuals with a more complicated set of skills. Data conversant. Technology conversant. Clinical conversant. That talent pool isn’t going to exist on its own,” says Ton-Quinlivan. “Having intentionality in developing that talent pool will be important and should be a collaborative process.”

She says the virtualized environment—whether it’s clinical care via telehealth or remote work for other employees—is here to stay and health care organizations will have to adjust.