Exec: We need a plan for shortages that's more than Band-Aids
Plus: Updates on healthcare training programs in high schools and K12 re-launches national Nursing Club
In a recent article for MedCity News, workforce-intelligence executive Charlie Lougheed called on policymakers, healthcare industry leaders, and employers to consider more aggressive steps and more coordination to address labor shortages and build up the talent pipeline.
In “Addressing Healthcare Workforce Shortages Beyond Band-Aids,” Lougheed noted that the industry “makes up almost 20% of the United States economy, so when there is a people problem with healthcare, there is also an economic problem within the country.”
More urgent attention to prevent a systemic meltdown is needed now, he said.
— The U.S. physician shortage is projected to top 140,000 by 2036.
— 42 states are projected to experience severe and disruptive nursing shortages by 2030.
“There’s no on-off switch to fix this problem, no way to simply create more clinicians,” he writes. “Solving this problem will require a multi-pronged approach that includes recruitment, technology, and help from lawmakers.”
Lougheed suggests a number of solutions already proposed or possible, if folks will get on board:
Prong 1: Federal legislation
The article specifically mentions the need to better employ trained and credentialed healthcare professionals who are not American citizens, such as Senator Tim Kaine’s bill “Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act,” introduced in April 2024 and sent to committee (where it sits untouched as of this writing).
“The proposed legislation aims to create easier pathways to employment for the approximately 270,000 immigrants in the United States with health-related degrees who are unemployed or underemployed,” Lougheed writes. “It’s a bold move, knowing that any legislation that touches on immigration is sure to be a lightning rod for debate. But we are in an all-hands-on-deck situation, and any pathway to alleviate the pressures our health systems are experiencing must be given serious and thoughtful consideration.”
Prong 2: Funding education for doctors like we do for military service members
The United States should figure out how to eliminate financial barriers for nursing and medical education programs, which cost between $35K and 65K to receive a BSN and at least $220,000 for a medical doctor degree, Lougheed says.
“As a country, if we’re willing to pay for the college education of those who serve in the military, we should equally commit ourselves to further developing grants and scholarships and explore legislative paths to fund the education of the people on the front lines of our emergency rooms, pediatrician offices, and nursing homes – regardless of their country of origin.”
Prong 3: Modernize and coordinate the recruitment messages and distribution
Remember those “Be all you can be” and “The few, the proud, the Marines” commercials? “These tactics motivated young men and women to serve, and that framework is one that should be considered in healthcare,” Lougheed writes. “The U.S. healthcare system must find ways to excite young minds in high school and demonstrate opportunities that are both rewarding and attainable.”
There’s more prongs
He also touches on the need for industry-wide improvements in workforce environments and adoption of new technologies that automate repetitive administrative tasks and reduce demand for humans to manage and sift through the petabytes of data that healthcare organizations hold.
For example, he says: “Artificial intelligence can decipher trends and provide recommendations for health system executives to best use their workforce, even with shortages.”
Read the entire article at MedCityNews.com.
Speaking of funding education for doctors like we do the military…
Connecticut’s governor recently launched a program that repays student loans for healthcare providers — up to $50,000 — if they commit to practicing full-time for two years in health shortage areas within the state. The first application period opened in May and filled up by the end of June; it is expected to open again to new applicants in the next year, depending on the availability of funds.
The Connecticut Student Loan Repayment Program also offers options for part-time medical professionals. The program is overseen by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and administered by the UConn Health-based Connecticut Area Health Education Center; the state's last program to repay student loans for medical providers ended in 2009.
Unlike the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which only applies to federal student loans, the Connecticut Student Loan Repayment Program allows both federal and private student loan debt to be repaid, making it a more comprehensive solution for healthcare providers with diverse educational debt.
Find more information at the CTSLRP website.
8 noteworthy healthcare proposals in Project 2025
Becker’s Hospital Review reports on the major policy proposals included in Project 2025 that would have significant impacts on healthcare organizations and workers.
Project 2025 is a package of sweeping federal policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation, intended for the next Republican presidential administration. Its website notes that it "does not speak for any candidate or campaign, in any capacity." CNN and The New York Times have reported that the Project 2025 authors include 140 people who served in the Trump administration during his presidency.
Key proposal topics summarized in Becker’s report include:
HHS reform
Medicare reform
Medicaid reform
Abortion, birth control, embryonic stem cell research
Affordable Care Act/Insurance, No Surprises Act, hospital ownership regulations
Gender-affirming care and rescinding certain discrimination bans
CDC reform and restricting its policymaking influence
Corporate consolidation
Read the whole report at Becker’s website.
Updates: When high schools help to boost the talent pipeline
PS: Do you know of a new high school healthcare program? Submit a news tip via email or via comment on Substack; I’m always looking to spotlight new, unique, and/or growing programs that prepare high-schoolers for a post-graduation career job in the healthcare sector.
A few updates from secondary education relevant to healthcare workforce planners and education policymakers:
In Illinois, where the 2022 PWR Act established a College and Career Pathway Endorsements program for public schools with grades 9–12, high schools are beginning to unveil their CCPE tracks accepting their first students this fall.
Eldorado High School this week announced the launch of its Health Science and Technology Nursing College and Career Pathway, which adds an “Endorsement” to the high school diploma of students completing the requirements.
A CCPE Endorsement on a diploma “simultaneously demonstrates students’ readiness for postsecondary programs and entry-level professional learning experiences in a selected career interest area,” according to the PWR Act website. “The endorsement also incentivizes career exploration and acceleration, particularly in high-demand career fields.”
In Eldorado, Illinois, the nursing pathway coursework will include some that carry dual credit.
In Georgia, Bulloch County Schools’ Career Technical & Agricultural Education program has “graduated” its first class of students from Georgia’s Therapeutic Services – Allied Health career pathway, a partnership with East Georgia Regional Medical Center.
Of the 44 students who participated in the program’s first class, 41 passed the national assessment and certification exam, a 93% pass rate — far above the state’s average pass rate of 53%, according to YouScience. Students who pass earn national certifications for healthcare field employees including OSHA-approved Bloodborne Pathogens for Healthcare Workers Certification and HIPAA Certificates.
“East Georgia Regional is our largest Allied Health pathway partner,” said Elizabeth Hartley, the healthcare science instructor at Southeast Bulloch High School. “They provide both inpatient and outpatient settings for our students to observe. There are a total of 15 inpatient locations, such as the emergency room, intensive care unit, and medical surgical floor, in which students could scrub in and watch surgeries in the operating room. Additionally, they provide six different outpatient settings for students to view various medical office settings and imaging required for patient care.”
K12 re-launches national Nursing Club for high school students
Online education provider K12 (part of the Stride Learning family, along with the sponsor of this newsletter, MedCerts) is encouraging high school students nationwide to “find their passion” and join the revamped K12 Nursing Club.
The club is “designed to help students ages 13 and older explore the world of nursing and find a career path that suits them best,” K12 said. “Participants will have in-depth discussions with nurses from around the U.S. who can advise them on their career journey. This club is open to all students, whether they attend a K12 school or not, and there is no cost to join, K12 said.
Learn more at the K12 Nursing Club website.
Shout-out to HWR sponsors
The Healthcare Workforce Report newsletter is generously supported by MedCerts.
For information on supporting HWR, email HealthcareWorkforce@substack.com.