‘H is for Hiring’ campaign aims to fill SC’s open hospital jobs

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - A new campaign is underway to fill thousands of open jobs in South Carolina hospitals, and it starts by trying to grab the attention of travelers during one of the busiest weeks of the year.

The South Carolina Hospital Association just kicked off its “H is for Hiring” campaign, which will run through at least the end of next year.

Through it, the association is looking to bring more attention to available positions at hospitals in South Carolina and direct applicants to them.

“We are a large employer — in many cases, one of the largest employers in each county, and we have tons of jobs that are available,” SCHA Vice President of Workforce and Member Engagement Lara Hewitt said.

Billboards with the familiar “H” symbol that informs people where hospitals are have been put up around the state as South Carolinians visit their loved ones over the Thanksgiving holiday. They advertise, “Great Pay. Great Career. Great Life,” and direct people to the campaign’s website, where they can find jobs near them and learn more about the industry.

SCHA said it will also be spreading the word through social media and other outdoor ads, including signage in Death Valley on Saturday for the Carolina-Clemson game.

According to Hewitt, hospitals are looking for everyone, from current healthcare workers to people switching careers to students considering the industry.

The American Hospital Association reports around 9,000 jobs are open in South Carolina hospitals and health systems, mainly in nursing.

Hewitt said they want to make sure people are aware of those jobs as well as the lesser-known jobs in the field that are just as critical to fill.

“At some point in time in our lives, we’re all going to be consumers of healthcare,” she said. “We want to do everything that we can to make sure that people who have a heart and a passion for people in for service know that these career pathways exist and that they choose to go in them and that they have the support along the way to be successful so that our hospitals will be staffed well into the future to take care of all of our loved ones.”

Hewitt said the vacancies can be chalked up to multiple causes.

“During the pandemic, we had a lot of people who retired early who maybe chose other sites of employment, but we also — the demand continues to grow because coming out of COVID, there’s a lot of people who didn’t get the services they need, so now they’re coming in and there’s an increased need for their services, which means there’s an increased need for all those individuals providing those services,” she said.

The hospital association said next year, it plans to incorporate new educational, student aid, and workplace initiatives, including bringing this campaign to schools.

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