The VA Black Hills Health Care System is reducing it’s urgent care hours in Hot Springs starting next month.
The organization says the change in hours is a result of critical staffing shortfalls.
Officials points to high competition and a small candidate pool in Hot Springs as contributing to turnover.
The VA urgent care is currently operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Starting November fourth, the health system is reducing hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Sandra Horsman is the VA Black Hills Health Care System Director. She says this is a last ditch temporary effort to protect veterans and staff until a permanent solution to the turnover issues in Hot Springs is reached. Horsman says there’s a lot of turnover.
“We’re competing for skilled nursing with Fall River County hospital, regional health has a small clinic there, the state vets home has clinical staff, and then—of course—our hospitals,” Horsman says. “So, there’s a lot of competition for a very small candidate pool in Hot Springs.”
Horsman says they’ve sent a healthcare recruiter to 22 events in the last year, trying to encourage nursing graduates to work for the VA Black Hills and in Hot Springs.
She says they’ve offered recruitment incentives and the travelling nurse corps, as well.
Horsman says if a vet needs urgent care services outside of the new business hours, they can to go a contracted urgent care in their neighborhood under the MISSION Act.