Regardless of whether an organization is a health center, private clinic or hospital, workforce shortages are affecting everyone. Remember that being creative with recruitment and retention is also based on the department a health center is hiring for (front desk versus clinical support staff, etc.). Some ideas that may be helpful: 

1) Revisit benefit and salary packages for your health center and see what other organizations of similar size and complexity are offering.  As health centers, at times we cannot compete with big health systems or hospitals when it comes to matching salaries. One idea may be to offer additional benefits such as daycare/eldercare, job sharing, remote work capabilities or additional paid time off. Completing an employee satisfaction survey may also give you some ideas of what benefits health center employees are looking for. 

2) As clinical support shortages increase, a health center may want to look at alternative professions to support clinical workflows. For example, can a paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) work within a health center, providing clinical support duties? As each state has various requirements for scope of practice for each profession, a health center may want to research licensure requirements. 

3) A health center can also explore growing their own workforce. Offering tuition assistance or paying for a certification may help with retention of staff. For example, there may be an employee who is completing front desk duties but would like to become a dental assistant. Providing a path for growth within a health center may also help with employee morale. Finally, work with your local Primary Care Association (PCA) and other local health centers to see what other programs or training they may have.