Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health is developing a local talent pipeline, which has become one of the system’s highest priorities in 2026.
“We’re seeing more demand on everything,” LMH Health CFO Rob Chestnut said during a Becker’s “CFO + Revenue Cycle Podcast” episode. “All across the board, as far as labor is concerned, nursing, radiation technologists, medical assistants, phlebotomists, you name it, we’re really focusing a lot on how we can get out in front of this.”
Mr. Chestnut has been CFO of LMH Health for nearly two years, and was born in the system’s 174-bed hospital – taking the ‘grow your own’ workforce mentality to the next level.
“It’s grow your own, and also recognizing the fact that it’s not always about money,” he said. “It can be, what’s the culture that you’re creating in your organization? What kind of recognition are you providing people?”
Between a shrinking workforce to inflationary and economic pressures on wages, LMH Health has found solutions to tackle this issue. The system has partnered with local vocational-technical schools and is building apprenticeship programs designed to grow talent within the community.
Mr. Chestnut also pointed to AI as a tool for easing the burden on an already stretched workforce, which has helped the system’s revenue cycle and clinical workforce streamline daily tasks.
“We’ve got to create a platform where we can standardize what we’re doing and apply technology across it,” he said. “It’s not just using the technology tools, it’s developing the workflows to make sure that you can use that technology, because if you’re doing things so inconsistently across all your clinics, technology is not going to solve that problem.”
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