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Missouri-area hospitals had an average turnover rate of 16.3% among health care professionals in 2014, up from 12.9% in 2013, according to a new  from the Missouri Hospital Association. After stabilizing in 2013, turnover and vacancy rates increased for most surveyed occupations, suggesting that health professionals who deferred retirement during the economic downturn are beginning to retire, the association said. Turnover and vacancy rates for registered nurses averaged 15.7% and 9.9%, respectively, about the same as in 2013, and continued to vary substantially by region. One-third of unlicensed assistive personnel changed jobs during the year, the highest turnover rate among the 36 hospital-based and five clinic and physician office-based positions surveyed. “High vacancy and turnover is costly for hospitals, but they represent a great opportunity for job seekers as both the health care workforce and the model of care delivery transitions,”  MHA President and CEO Herb Kuhn. A total of 151 hospitals participated in the survey, including nine in Kansas and seven in Illinois.