When Rhode Island reported its first COVID-19 case on March 1, 2020, nurse Tenah Nimmo-Powell and her teammates didn’t fully grasp the situation. They thought the virus resembled the flu, but the reality soon hit home. Within months, they were handling multiple deaths daily at her nursing home, a scene that left everyone feeling frantic.
Nimmo-Powell is one of many Rhode Island health care workers who played a vital role during the pandemic, a period that tragically took nearly 4,500 lives in the state. “It was surreal,” reflected Jason Drapeau, a nurse at Butler Hospital. For two years, he wore an N95 mask, a constant reminder of the pandemic’s grip on daily life.
The stress wasn’t just about the disease. Carol Lewis, a pediatrician at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, noted that the emotional toll on her patients and the barriers to connecting with families were significant. Many of her patients were vulnerable, often refugees or low-income individuals reliant on Medicaid.
Fast forward five years, and health care workers still feel the impact of that time. The workforce is struggling. “Staffing was bad before the pandemic, and now it’s worse,” Nimmo-Powell stated, highlighting a severe labor shortage.
Lewis expressed concern that physician burnout has deepened since the pandemic. Hospitals in Rhode Island face high occupancy rates due to ongoing workforce issues. She attributes this partly to low wages and reimbursement rates, which are driving healthcare professionals to seek opportunities elsewhere. “They don’t retain staff because they’re not paying enough,” she said.
Drapeau shared his worries about finances. Despite over 20 years in nursing, his salary has stagnated while inflation rises. He noted working unusually long hours during the pandemic—sometimes between 13 and 19 shifts in a two-week span.
The culture in medicine has shifted, too, Lewis mentioned. There seems to be a growing focus on productivity and patient numbers rather than building strong patient relationships. “There’s more concern about the bottom line,” she said, suggesting that doctors’ voices are often sidelined when it comes to discussions about patient care.
Recently, unionized health care workers rallied outside the State House against Gov. Dan McKee’s proposed budget cuts for hospitals and Medicaid. Drapeau emphasized the struggle to provide care with decreased funding: “If the governor wants to cut our resources, he’s showing what he thinks about our most vulnerable citizens.”
This situation reflects a nationwide issue in health care. According to a recent survey by the American Hospital Association, nearly 33% of hospitals reported critical staffing shortages in 2023. Hospitals across the U.S. are grappling with similar challenges, including rising patient demands and financial pressures.
As our healthcare systems work through the ripple effects of the pandemic, it’s clear that the focus must shift back to supporting the caregivers and improving conditions for both patients and providers. The ongoing struggle reinforces the importance of addressing healthcare workforce challenges not just locally in Rhode Island, but nationwide.
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