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Crisis in Springfield-area healthcare staffing? Springfield Daily Citizen reports on job vacancies — and what hospitals are doing to fill them

Mercy Springfield
Mercy hospital in Springfield is shown in an undated photo. Mercy leaders and their counterparts at CoxHealth say they are working to address issues that in recent times have caused widespread healthcare job vacancies in the Ozarks.

Jack McGee, business and economic development reporter at the Springfield Daily Citizen, joins KSMU's Gregory Holman to talk about his recent reporting on 2,000 job vacancies across CoxHealth and Mercy.

Recently, the Springfield Daily Citizen published an in-depth report on labor issues in local healthcare systems — including CoxHealth and Mercy in the Springfield area.

Reporter Jack McGee found that Missouri Hospital Association data from last year indicate roughly 2,000 healthcare job vacancies at Mercy and Cox. He shares aspects of the problem — including educational efforts — and actions taken by healthcare leaders to address staffing issues.

Gregory Holman is a KSMU reporter and editor focusing on public affairs.