Georgetown, TX, grew over 50% in only 5 years, from a population of 67K to 100K+. In the wake of this staggering growth rate, healthcare managers face a logistical nightmare.
Smart Georgetown nurse staffing platform at your service
As patient volume skyrockets, directors of nursing (DONs) and healthcare managers have to fill the critical gap between the rising demand and the availability of qualified nurses. This situation forces a re-evaluation of traditional staffing solutions in Georgetown, TX.
A high 65+ population
In Georgetown, 28% of the population is over 65, more than twice the 13% statewide in Texas.
The older the population, the greater the demand for healthcare services, especially in labor-intensive services like:
- Geriatric care
- Chronic disease management
- Surgical services
Wage competition with Austin
Georgetown is a suburban area of Austin and does not have the concentration of high-complexity hospitals with “high stakes” units, such as:
- Trauma centers (especially level 1)
- Neonatal intensive care
- Advanced cardiology
- Teaching hospitals
Such facilities often offer higher nursing wages due to the increased patient acuity and the demand for specialized skills, drawing nurses away from Georgetown.
The empty-bed paradox
Texas is facing a severe RN shortage, with a projected deficit of 56,370 by 2036. The shortage is even more pronounced in central Texas, where 27% of the demand for RNs will likely remain unmet.
Not having RNs can often mean that hospitals have available beds, but they can’t staff for them, leaving patients to wait.
You may be interested in learning how the Nursa platform is designed to help you fill shifts and build schedules faster.
The challenge of local staff retention
When local staff leave for higher-paying jobs in Austin or travel assignments, Georgetown facilities often find themselves short-staffed and turn to staffing agencies to fill the gaps.
Staffing agencies provide an effective service to source talent for permanent roles, but the process can take weeks. This delay creates an operational bottleneck. Reliance on the agency model often entails meeting minimum staffing quotas and paying agency administrative fees, significantly increasing the cost of nursing.
Truly optimizing your workforce management means moving beyond manual spreadsheets to a system that supports both the operational health of the facility and the mental well-being of its leadership team.
The direct-connect marketplace
You can regain control of your budget and reduce labor cost variance by using Nursa’s digital healthcare staffing platform for per diem nurses. Update your healthcare talent acquisition strategy and build a stronger workforce by leveraging technology that bypasses traditional barriers.
The table below outlines some advantages of a staffing platform in comparison to an agency:
Features that make Nursa stand out
Nursa’s healthcare staffing platform connects you directly to a pool of verified clinicians, ready to step right into vacant shifts. The platform performs license verification and background checks before the nurse can pick up a shift.
The Auto-Schedule feature automatically schedules the nurses you have chosen for your “Favorites bench” when they apply for a shift.
Nursa charges no placement or hire-away fees. If you decide to offer one of our PRN nurses a permanent position, you may do so at no additional cost, as Nursa is here to support your staffing and your patients.
Every per diem booking serves as a trial shift, offering you the unique opportunity to 'try-before-you-hire' and get to know a clinician’s skills on the job before making a long-term commitment.
Streamline your healthcare recruiting strategy with Nursa.
How Brookfield Health solved staffing gaps with Nursa
Brookfield Health and Rehabilitation of Cascadia has approximately 80 full-time staff members. As with many other facilities, Brookfield suffered the strain of the nursing shortage combined with the demands of an aging population.
Focused on reducing overall staffing costs and agency markups, facility leaders researched ways to relieve the stress of staffing pressure day after day, looking into staffing agencies and platforms.
While traditional agencies often lack user-friendly interfaces, Brookfield found a technological solution that is easy to navigate and reduces costs.
Integrating Nursa into Brookfield’s staffing model has proven effective for filling last-minute vacancies and weekend shifts. As a result, the entire Brookfield team is consistently well-prepared to support the health and well-being of its patients.
For facilities in high-growth areas like Georgetown, the Brookfield experience shows that digital staffing platforms offer the agility needed to manage staggering population growth without sacrificing operating margins.
Automating the 'logistical nightmare' of shift-filling provides significant burnout relief for DONs, allowing them to have more time away from the desk and back at the bedside.
Secure the skilled temporary medical staff you need, when you need them.
From compliance to ROI
Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) reporting and Hours Per Resident Day (HPRD) compliance are regulatory mandates for skilled nursing facilities. However, they can also become tools for operational excellence. In addition, these tools can become ways to maximize rewards and avoid penalties, thereby improving your Return on Investment (ROI).
The repeal of rigid federal staffing minimums provided much-needed flexibility, and the proactive response shows the leaders’ determination to put quality first.
How PBJ reporting can increase reimbursements
Incentive payment multiplier: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) increases reimbursement using the incentive payment multiplier (IPM).
When payments are made for a skilled nursing facility’s (SNF's) Medicare fee-for-service, CMS multiplies the adjusted federal rate by the SNF's incentive payment multiplier, which is determined by the data in PBJ submissions.
How hospitals can increase CMS reimbursements
The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program: CMS rewards high-quality care by adjusting Medicare payments, giving higher reimbursements to hospitals with better performance scores or reducing payments (penalties) for lower performers.
This reflects a shift in focus from volume to value, measured by clinical outcomes, safety, patient experience, and efficiency. These measures are obtained through the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program.
Both long-term care facilities and hospitals can leverage the payment adjustments determined by the Medicare Market Basket.
The Medicare Market Basket is an inflationary index used to adjust Medicare payment rates for healthcare providers, reflecting the rise in costs. Higher reimbursements due to rewards, incentives, and market basket updates directly impact a healthcare provider's revenue and, consequently, its ROI.
The ROI of Compliance
By maintaining audit-ready digital trails from tools such as PBJ submissions, facilities can demonstrate that their daily staffing levels align perfectly with their facility assessment. This allows them to defend their ratios during surveys and secure maximum reimbursements.
Use Nursa to increase your ROI
Comply with staffing ratios for PRN nurses and obtain CMS incentives.
Create a facility profile and post your first shift in Georgetown or browse the local clinician pool today.
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