As the covid-19 pandemic raged throughout 2020 and 2021 we saw global activity essentially shutdown. People around the world were thrust into an environment of uncertainty becoming consumed with how officials were strategizing our path forward. Present day it seems we still do not have all the answers but as the dust begins to settle, many are starting to find their footing as they move on with their future. Healthcare professionals are known to be very smart and talented individuals yet are still struggling to find the balance desperately needed with the complex challenges they face day after day. As situations deteriorate over time these workers have become increasingly stretched thin as they are pushed to their limits. Let’s take a deeper look at how those were affected and discuss one teams mission to create a new and refreshing environment for our healthcare professionals.
The title of healthcare worker is sometimes used to identify doctors and nurses in laymen terms. For this discussion it is important to differentiate the different professions in healthcare to provide a sharpened perspective of the complexity of challenges surfacing today. These positions are referred to as allied health professions. Allied health professionals include: Physician assistants, Medical Imaging Personnel (X-Ray, Ultrasound, MRI, CT, PET, Nuclear Medicine etc.) Physical Therapist, Respiratory Therapists, Occupational therapists, Audiologist/ Speech Pathologists, Nutritionists/Dieticians, Behavioral health technicians, medical assistants, Kinesiotherapists, Pharmacy technicians, Dental hygienist, Paramedics/EMT, and Mental health counselor (https://www.asahp.org/what-is). This is not a complete list of every profession but represents the wide range of professions in the category. Statistically, allied healthcare is the sum of almost 66% percent of all healthcare professions. The past two years has introduced unique challenges for allied healthcare professionals. For example, physician assistants and respiratory therapists in hospitals worked long hours to help control the spread of the virus and care for patients fighting covid-19. Meanwhile, all elective procedures were halted preventing patients from receiving elective procedures such as, spinal surgeries, knee replacements and more. As you can see this led to major decrease in demand making it difficult for many allied health professionals to find work. Independent nutritionists and Athletic trainers were simply told to close shop. This environment has resulted in a conundrum. Understand that we are dealing with 18% of healthcare workers quitting their jobs due to the stress of working long hours, pay cuts, feeling of being disposable from employer. At the same time, we have seen another 12% of the healthcare workforce being laid off as providers look to keep businesses afloat (Morning Consult, 2021).
Overall, you have a vital workforce feeling the burnout and help is desperately needed. As we investigate the myriad of challenges facing our healthcare workers, we can begin to visualize hurdles that must be overcome to assists not only those who have become burnt out of their profession the past couple of years but to also lend a hand to new practitioners starting their careers in allied health. You will find that throughout the ages the strongest of communities were birthed from difficult times. This is one reason why many militaries are used as an example of a desired community, one that is tight knit and strong in spirit. Many allied healthcare workers desire such a community but are caught up in the emotions and challenges of being overwhelmed and underappreciated whilst having trouble finding a suitable promotions and positions. Maybe those in healthcare simply need a shake-up the mundane routine they attend to daily. One team coming out of North America is looking to bring the X-factor to solving todays allied healthcare workers problems. Allied Help is an up-and-coming organization designed to specifically assists allied healthcare professionals in whatever challenge they may come across. Allied help is seeks to empower under-appreciated professionals in healthcare by bridging the gap between communities while providing strategic insights and management tools for better outcomes. It must be understood that Allied Help aims to be more than just another online group sharing the latest industry gossip. Allied Help is a community filled with solutions that any healthcare professional could use for their benefit. For example, professionals within the community will be given special opportunities to accept jobs that allow for flexible scheduling and higher pay. Allied Help is also working to ensure that these professionals receive quick payouts for their services with many other network benefits such as upcoming re-certification notifications, discounted merchandise and more. Most importantly Allied Help will become a first of its kind as it transitions from a community created by industry experts into a community governed by the healthcare workers themselves through blockchain technology. Taking a closer look, the team at Allied Help noticed the first version of the world wide web was widely used by healthcare professionals to read up on current events in the industry. With web2.0, healthcare workers were able to come together and discuss job opportunities and growth. Web2.0 even allows for healthcare workers to connect with certain employers through centralized entities such as Indeed. The emergence of web3 applications will allow allied health professionals to be more independent and take complete ownership of their opportunities!
Allied Help encourages all allied healthcare workers to come join the community and help shape the future of the healthcare workforce. To find out more on Allied Help healthcare workers can simply visit alliedhelp.net. Verified healthcare professionals can also join in on developing discussions through Allied Helps discord and other social media contacts listed on their website.Max Adams-Community Research JournalistsMax Adams is a community research journalist writing on future innovations and wonders.
References
.about. Alliedhelp. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://alliedhelp.net/?page_id=5
Nearly 1 in 5 health care workers have quit their jobs during the pandemic. Morning Consult. (2022, April 1). Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://morningconsult.com/2021/10/04/health-care-workers-series-part-2-workforce/
What is Allied Health? ASAHP. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://www.asahp.org/what-is
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