In our beautiful rural community, we are lucky to have Sharon Hospital nearby. We all depend upon their resources and caring staff. The cost of local housing however, creates serious challenges for recruitment and retention of many of the workers the hospital needs for their daily operations.
According to Sarah Colomello, spokeswoman for Sharon Hospital, “We sometimes hear that geographically, Sharon is difficult to commute to and, based on the cost of living in the area, people are less likely to relocate here.
“In the Surgical Services Department, there have been several potential job candidates who were willing to relocate but were unable to find affordable housing nearby.
“In our Emergency Department, there have been interested candidates but very few of them live in this area due to the high cost. When they see how far they need to travel to come here to work they usually do not accept the job offer.
“In April and May, Support Services has had three candidates for positions state that the commute to Sharon is longer than they are willing to drive.
“Within the Quality Department, staff commute between 35 and 60 minutes to work. Sharon and surrounding areas are not an option for relocation due to the high cost of living.”
We can all help Sharon Hospital thrive and attract the employees they need by supporting local, affordable housing options.
This article was published in The Lakeville Journal on 9/26/19.