Three-quarters of clinicians report being unable to deliver the care they aim to provide. This isn’t merely a staffing issue—it’s a crisis for patient care.
My organization, which engaged over 1,300 clinicians and 160 health care executives, found results that underscore the severity of the issue. Our polling shows that 50% of health care executives have cut their ability to serve patients—through fewer appointments, shorter hours, or closed beds—due to difficulties hiring staff. Even though employers list thousands of health care positions monthly, there aren’t enough workers to fill them.
On one side, health systems struggle to find the qualified professionals they require. On the other, many Americans are eager to take these roles but encounter obstacles at every step. The research makes it clear: this gap affects everyone.
The health care workforce gap
The health care workforce gap touches all communities, but rural areas face devastating shortages. Our research finds that 85% of rural health care executives say they can’t find enough local talent—almost twice the 45% reported in large cities.
These numbers translate to real-world effects: a specialist role left vacant for months, a family practice halting new patient intake, a mental health clinic where wait times grow from weeks to months.
Even staffed facilities risk losing employees. While workplace satisfaction is high—72% to 89% across roles—15% of physicians and 13% of nurses say they’re likely to leave in the coming year.
So how do we address a crisis this serious? The natural impulse is to compete more fiercely for existing talent. But this strategy has boundaries.
Why traditional solutions aren’t working
To compete for workers, hospitals and health systems are increasing salaries significantly. Our research shows that advertised health care roles pay 48% more than the median income of current workers—yet vacancies remain. This isn’t about pay; it’s about a lack of supply.
Executives know what’s effective. Sixty-nine percent say partnerships with educational institutions are the best solution—surpassing bonuses, job boards, and staffing agencies. But only 22% actually invest in such partnerships.
Many suggest artificial intelligence is the answer. I disagree. Our research finds that while 76% of executives say AI enhances care quality, only 65% think it can fix staffing shortages. AI doesn’t lessen the need for clinicians; it increases the instances where skilled judgment is essential.
I believe that while technology can manage documentation and routine tasks, professionals are still needed for complex cases, tough family discussions, and situations where experience counts. Though AI might boost each clinician’s effectiveness, it doesn’t solve the core need for sufficient staffing.
Moving forward demands rethinking how we train professionals from the start.
The path forward
Fixing a worker supply crisis means expanding the pipeline of candidates, not fighting over the same small group of graduates. This requires a complete rethink of how we train health care professionals.
First, we need to build educational capacity in areas with proven need. Traditional colleges and universities weren’t designed to handle workforce crises. They serve important roles, but quickly expanding capacity to address known shortages? That’s not their strength. We need education platforms created to scale up when workforce gaps appear.
Second, we need direct partnerships between health systems and educators. When students train in the facilities where they’ll eventually work—using the same equipment they’ll use professionally—they graduate ready to start immediately, often with jobs already lined up. These partnerships succeed because they’re focused on real workforce needs, not academic schedules.
Third, we need to create pathways for the students we actually have, not the ones we idealize. The professionals we need aren’t always 22-year-olds fresh out of college. They’re career switchers, working parents, military veterans—individuals who bring the maturity and perspective health care needs but require flexible programs. If we only design education for traditional students, we shut out the very people our communities need most.
When hospitals can’t deliver high-quality care and the gap between open positions and available workers keeps growing, we have to confront this crisis directly.
Not in the future. Right now.
