A column published last week by a longtime friend, Pattie Mihalik triggered research about healthcare, particularly in Pennsylvania. She wrote from Florida about the situation in that state caused by a population that grew faster than the healthcare options available there.

For something as simple as an X-ray, there were no openings to get one. Ultimately, with her condition worsening, she drove herself to a local hospital and was treated in its emergency room.

Doctors there told her to follow up with her regular physician within seven days. Three weeks later, she still can’t get an appointment, the earliest one available for another two weeks.

I had a similar situation where I live, needing to get to a doctor quickly, but unable to make an appointment on short notice.

I visited a local walk-in facility, where staff, nurses and doctors from a health care system that wasn’t one I used regularly took care of me.

The waiting room was filled with folks of all ages, seeking answers about and some relief from their ailments.

When my turn came, I chatted with a young doctor who told me her days were very often long and stressful.

I found that sentiment echoed in another news story about how post COVID-19, healthcare workers are dealing with burnout and stress.

And from my other readings and observations, I got to thinking.

Who’s taking care of the people who are taking care of us?

This country is smack in the middle of a shortage of healthcare workers. I say “the middle” only because it’s going to get worse in Pennsylvania in the years ahead, especially when it comes to nursing support specialists and mental health providers.

The phenomenon – the “Silver Tsunami” – is building rapidly. In the next 25 years, many projections show, there’ll be more older people in the state than those in the workforce.

And when the tsunami hits the healthcare industry, who’ll will be there to care for all those who need it?

Hospitals, clinics, therapy locations, skilled care sites and retirement communities will be under the gun to find adequate staff.

These days, short staffing is breeding burnout and abandonment of once coveted positions at many levels.

For example, last year about 10% to 20% vacancy existed for certified registered nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, registered nurses for direct patient care, clinical nurse specialists, nursing support staff and certified midwives.

And depending on what surveys are being considered, numbers are higher.

The two major healthcare systems that serve the area, St. Luke’s and Lehigh Valley, are doing what they can to retain and recruit staff.

Both offer competitive salaries and benefits and support continued education for workers hoping to enhance their careers.

Based on surveys of its own, Lehigh Valley is beginning to offer employees child care options. It’s working to hire more employees and invest in technology that might make their jobs less stressful.

In addition, LVHN is hoping to capitalize on changes at its school of nursing in Pottsville to accommodate additional night and weekend classes.

At St. Luke’s, employees can attend classes for just the cost of uniforms and books with a commitment to work in their system for two years after graduating. Offering courses of study convenient to students – day or night and weekend – also helps.

Whatever healthcare systems can do to create and maintain a pipeline of employees obviously will help.

Providers have issues and policies that differ, and ones that many don’t often agree with. They’re working through problems. In some ways, the communities they serve can work with them.

Educators might promote healthcare careers with presentations at high schools. Communities might benefit from having healthcare workers as mentors for potential students.

Technology in the form of telemedicine might ease pressures of an overburdened emergency room or walk-in clinic, too.

Taking care of those who take care of us now can help lessen the burden of expected staffing issues down the road.

But for now, we need patience as patients.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.