It’s hard to imagine but today marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people — more than 400 were police officers, firefighters and first responders. September 11, 2001 — 9/11— stands as the deadliest foreign attack in the United States.

Many of us can remember exactly where we were when that first plane hit the twin towers. Some of us have very personal memories of family or friends impacted by the attacks. One thing that stands out for me is how our communities across the country came together in a display of profound patriotism. We faced uncertainty and stood in the face of adversity, and ultimately came out more resilient. The same could be said for how we’ve pulled together these past 18 months in the ongoing fight against COVID-19, which as we know, continues.

The COVID-19 Delta variant likely tampered with job growth last month, according to the August 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Hiring Situation. In August 235,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy, the fewest jobs in seven months and less than half of the average monthly job growth of 586,000 that has been seen this year. The unemployment rate dropped to a 17-month low of 5.2%, down from 5.6%, a 16-month low. Employment is up by 17 million since April 2020 but down by 5.3 million, or 3.5%, from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020.

While the healthcare sector overall lost 4,900 jobs in August, hospitals marked the second consecutive month of job growth, adding 3,200 jobs. Job losses occurred in nursing and residential care facilities (-6,900) and in ambulatory care settings (-1,200). Ambulatory care has typically been the largest job-producing segment within healthcare’s economic rebound. Overall, 513,400 healthcare jobs have been lost since the start of the pandemic in February 2020, with nursing homes accounting for the majority of job loss (-383,200). Hospitals lost 84,800 jobs and ambulatory care settings lost 45,300 jobs during the same time period.

We are excited for school to begin once again. In honor of the start of the new school year, please see below pictures that were shared by our team members across the country of their children's first day back at school. Check out their smiling faces below!

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year when visitation at hospitals was restricted, the caring staff Presbyterian Saint Luke's Hospital (PSL), which is based in Denver, Colorado, sought to find an incredible way to honor the patients, who had passed away, especially those who did not have family by their side. "We knew that we did not want anyone to die alone," said Laura-Anne Cleveland, an associate chief nursing officer at PSL. "That is always our commitment, but more so when they [patients] couldn’t have visitors at their bedside." So, to help colleagues find peace after a patient passes away, medical staff now gathers in a circle to read a special message created by an unknown ER nurse.

Click here to view the surprise.

The economy began the second half of the year with strong momentum, with the July 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Hiring Situation reporting that 943,000 new jobs were created last month. The gains were the largest seen in nearly a year and the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.6%, a 16-month low.

Healthcare added 36,800 jobs in July. Job gains in ambulatory health care services (31,900) and hospitals (18,300) than offset a loss of 13,400 jobs in nursing and residential care facilities. Healthcare employment remains down by 502,000 since February 2020.

Hiring surged in June, according to the June 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Hiring Situation Report, which showed that 850,000 new jobs were gained last month. The increase was the largest in 10 months and the unemployment rate ticked up to 5.9% from 5.8% the month prior. Most of the growth was seen in the service sector, reflecting signs of economic improvement.

That said, the healthcare sector lost 12,000 jobs in June, with hospitals recording a third straight month of job losses.  Hospitals lost 5,500 jobs, and nursing homes lost 9,600 jobs in June. Those losses were slightly offset by 2,900 new jobs in ambulatory services. After seeing modest gains at the start of 2021, hospitals have recorded 10,200 job losses since April. Overall 537,000 healthcare jobs have been lost since the start of the pandemic in February 2020, with nursing homes making up the majority of the loss (-360,000), while hospitals have accounted for nearly one-fifth of all losses (-102,000) jobs.  The only portion of the healthcare sector which saw growth throughout the pandemic has been within ambulatory care, which gained 75,400 jobs during the same time period.

Congratulations to Chris Ocampo, BSN, RN, on earning a DAISY Award!

Chris was nominated by a patient at HCA Houston Healthcare West for the kindness that he exhibited and the care that he displayed to both the patient and family. Read the full nomination below:

The dedication and diligence of every employee at HealthTrust Workforce Solutions help contribute to positive patient care. We are grateful for the outstanding commitment of our exceptional employees and the hard work that is consistently displayed! For the second quarter of 2021, we have highlighted below a few Recruitment employees who went above and beyond in their service to colleagues and clinicians. 

A two-year-old Labrador retriever is helping keep patients, visitors and caregivers safe by sniffing for signs of COVID-19 at Doctors Hospital in Sarasota, Fla. "It's a distinct smell. The body's response to us fighting off COVID-19 is what the dogs are reacting to," explains Buffy's trainer Laska Parrow. The idea came about because Bob Meade serves as both a board member for the non-profit that trained Buffy, and is the CEO of the Doctors Hospital of Sarasota.