The Guthrie Clinic has proudly provided access to high-quality care throughout rural Pennsylvania and New York.

As president and CEO of this system, I have come to intimately understand that health systems like ours do more than provide medical care; we are the anchor institutions in the communities we serve.

Despite significant need and well-intentioned efforts, rural health-care systems across the country and here at home are struggling due to financial pressures, regulatory burdens and work- Dr. Edmund force shortages.

When a small hospital or clinic closes, it’s not merely an inconvenience, it’s a crisis for the community that can mean the difference between life and death.

However, with the right support, we can continue to do what we do best: care for every patient, every time, regardless of zip code.

We were pleased to host Gov.

Josh Shapiro along with state Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Republican legislators, Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Tina Pickett, at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre recently. The leaders highlighted the importance of rural health-care access, praised Guthrie as an example for other rural systems in the state, and stressed Pennsylvania’s need to work across party lines for important investments in rural health care.

By 2027, it has been estimated that up to 900,000 nurses will leave the workforce because of retirement, stress and burnout.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania will be among the most impacted states, with a projected shortage of 20,000 nurses and 278,000 nursing support professionals by 2026. The governor and legislative leaders’ visit came at an important time for rural health systems like ours.

It’s time to act.

As a physician by background and someone who has worked alongside nurses for nearly 35 years, I understand how critical they are and know a shortage will directly impact patient care.

Understaffed hospitals result in longer wait times, delayed treatments, increased hospital readmission rates and reduced patient satisfaction. Hospital staff are also required to work longer shifts, which can lead to higher turnover rates.

In the long term, our health-care systems cannot sustain that kind of pressure and will be forced to scale back services or close their doors — as we have already seen in other rural parts of the commonwealth.

We have challenged ourselves to think innovatively and adopted solutions that have moved the needle, including the launch of The Guthrie Pulse Center. This transformative team-based nursing model incorporates 24/7 remote support for our care teams, reducing reliance on travel nurses, increasing employee satisfaction and improving patient safety and outcomes.

Despite this and offering competitive compensation, bonuses and enhanced benefits that include paid parental leave and support for infertility treatment, The Guthrie Clinic, like so many others, still struggles to attract nurses.

That’s why investments such as Gov. Shapiro’s proposed Nursing Shortage Assistance Program are so critical. This program will add new nurses to Pennsylvania’s workforce, saving significant costs by reducing staffing turnover and creating stability in Pennsylvania’s rural hospitals. At the same time, this initiative will increase access to quality education and support sustainable enrollment growth to support the current and future healthcare needs of Pennsylvanians.

Students who participate in this program have their tuition sponsored and then work for a designated health system — like The Guthrie Clinic — with full salary and benefits for approximately three years after graduating. As much as possible, those students will complete clinical rotations with their future employer and receive training that prepares them for the job they are about to begin.

Guthrie is proud to have been an early leader in this space, launching our own Nursing Scholars program through a pilot of the Nursing Shortage Assistance Program. We believe this program will bolster workforce education, reduce training needs, and save our system thousands of dollars per nurse due to reduced turnover, staffing agency dependence, and improved bed utilization.

The Nursing Shortage Assistance Program is without question effective and produces future nurses to join Guthrie’s 2,500 strong nursing workforce.

We are proud to be fostering the next generation of nurses and laying the groundwork for clinical excellence and leadership at Guthrie.

The opportunity to support hospitals and health systems is here, and the time to act is now. Our patients, healthcare workers, and communities need legislators in Harrisburg to pass a budget that includes the Nursing Shortage Assistance Program.

While it is not the only solution needed to address the workforce crisis we are experiencing, it is a step in the right direction for Pennsylvania.

Sabanegh