A hospital patient waits too long for a check, and by the time an overburdened nurse reaches her bedside, a subtle change in her vital signs is missed and what could have been a manageable condition is an emergency. A patient suffers a heart attack because he couldn’t see a doctor to diagnose his hypertension early enough. A patient’s cancer diagnosis is delayed because there aren’t enough radiology technicians available to perform a scan to spot a tumor.
This is the human cost of America’s healthcare workforce shortage. We need tens of thousands more doctors, nurses and specialists to meet the growing demand for healthcare in this country. Health systems have been investing in AI and care model redesign to create efficiencies. But those efforts are not enough to address a shortage of this structure and size. Addressing it will take health systems, educators and policymakers taking a different approach and working together on a critical long-term investment: people. We need to attract, develop and retain the next generation of doctors and nurses through collaborations between these stakeholders.
If we don’t act decisively, the problem will only get worse. The healthcare workforce shortage is on track to nearly double by 2040, according to the Covista Healthcare Workforce Index, which is based on a model by the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The consequence of inaction isn’t just longer waits for a doctor’s appointment. Americans already feel the impact in their bank accounts. Unfilled healthcare positions are projected to cost the average U.S. family about $1,250 a year by 2040 if left unaddressed, according to Covista’s Index. Rural and underserved communities, which already wait the longest for care, are expected to bear the heaviest burden.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If health systems, educators and policymakers invest in our healthcare workforce and new ways to deliver care, we could close 92% of the projected labor gap, according to Covista’s Index.
Education partnerships that build a healthcare workforce pipeline could be an effective strategy for health systems. Unlike competing on salary, which redistributes the existing pool of candidates, education partnerships create seats and clinical placements that didn’t exist before. We also need to broaden who can enter the field and these partnerships can help expand the pipeline. Non-traditional students—adults who are raising families and holding jobs and looking to make a career change—are an untapped solution. Educators can play a key role in reaching non-traditional students to create the needed workforce.
We also need to consider investment in people when it comes to AI. AI is only useful in the hands of clinicians who are trained to use it well. And AI cannot currently build the trust that persuades a hesitant patient to follow through on a treatment plan or make a judgment call in a complex medical case. In fact, AI could even increase demand for workers.
Ensuring that humans, empathy and trust are central to care delivery means a workforce that can understand the algorithms, critically evaluate them and know when to override them. Investment in training to develop an AI-fluent workforce is just as important as investing in the technology itself.
Other levers for addressing the shortage are also important. We need to strengthen preventive health and primary care, like investing in more screenings and virtual health, so more conditions are prevented or managed before they require an emergency room visit. And we need to support the development of breakthrough therapeutics, like GLP-1s and cell/gene therapies, which could reduce demand on healthcare workers by addressing diseases at their root cause.
In the end, humans are still critical for healthcare. No single strategy will solve the workforce shortage on its own. But together, we have the tools to prepare for a future where patients don’t need to worry if there’s a doctor or nurse to see them.
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
