Becker's Featured Session Recap

Workforce flexibility is critical to the well-being of hospitals and health systems. It takes an intentional plan, however, to balance contract labor, minimize employee overtime and avoid overstaffing.

These were insights shared at Becker's 16th Annual Meeting in Chicago, in a session sponsored by Ingenovis Health titled "Reimagining Workforce Optimization: The Power of Partnership."

This session featured Vince Dindia, Director, VMS & Contingent Workforce Operations at Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) (Cincinnati) and Kathy Kohnke, Senior Vice President, Workforce Solutions, Ingenovis Health. They discussed Bon Secours Mercy Health's workforce challenges and how partnering with Ingenovis Health has created a sustainable staffing strategy.

They discussed Bon Secours Mercy Health's workforce challenges and how partnering with Ingenovis Health has created a sustainable staffing strategy.

Watch the full session below:

Here are three key takeaways from the session:

1. Optimizing contract labor was central to the Bon Secours Mercy Health merger

Bon Secours Mercy Health is one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States, with 60,000 associates handling a complex patient population and payer mix.

When the legacy Bon Secours and Mercy Health organizations merged in 2018, standardizing the contract labor workforce model was a high priority. Mercy Health sites in Ohio and Kentucky had direct partnerships with several healthcare staffing companies, while Bon Secours sites in Virginia and South Carolina used a vendor management system. Contract labor was the largest expense for the combined health system.

"Our CFOs, CNOs, HR and workforce leaders asked how to get this under control," Mr. Dindia explained. "That's when we looked at building strong partnerships and entered an RFP process with staffing and healthcare enterprises."

For more insight into Bon Secours Mercy Health’s workforce strategy and partnership approach, listen to our earlier conversation with Becker’s Healthcare.

2. Partnering with Ingenovis Health has transformed staffing and patient care

In late 2022, BSMH and Ingenovis Health entered a strategic alliance with innovative features. For example, the first 24 hours of contract staff orientation aren't billable, BSMH can reduce agency resources with no penalty and contract staff can be converted to BSMH employees without a fee.

From 2023 through 2025, Ingenovis Health placed over 5,000 clinicians at BSMH and over 330 nurses and allied health workers transitioned to permanent employment. At least 150 more conversions are expected in 2026. As a result, Ingenovis Health candidates have become a key part of our talent acquisition pipeline. Also, contract billing rates have decreased by nearly 48%, from the height of COVID to the present.

Reducing the administrative burden for managers means better patient care. The partnership has saved over 12,000 manager hours, as well as 5,000 compliance hours.

"With Ingenovis Health owning clinical interviewing and compliance validation, satisfaction for nurse leaders has increased because they have more time to be by the bedside," Ms. Kohnke said.

3. Trust and buy-in are key success factors

Goal alignment is critical to finding a trusted partner. Integration of the two teams is another reason why the collaborative partnership between BSMH and Ingenovis Health has been successful.

"Having boots on the ground to work with managers is essential. We have a clinical team that's always rounding at hospitals," Ms. Kohnke said.

At the same time, Ingenovis Health has developed KPIs to continually measure staffing performance. This has been crucial for achieving workforce goals.

"You can pursue the perfection of zero agency staff, but in a large, complex health system, contingent labor will always be a permanent part of the workforce solution," Mr. Dindia said. "The question is how to optimize that pipeline and use it to reinvest in your core workforce and stabilize care delivery."

Ingenovis Talent Operations (ITO) represents the next evolution in healthcare workforce management by going beyond conventional staffing models.

Through contractual accountability, a consultative approach, a co-ownership strategy, and a high degree of flexibility, ITO delivers tailored workforce solutions that align with the unique needs of healthcare organizations. Additionally, its innovative workforce technology ensures seamless integration with existing systems, providing a more effective and forward-thinking approach to workforce management.

#ITO #WorkforceSolutions