The healthcare system is under increasing strain as demand continues to rise. With approximately 62 million adults aged 65 and older, accounting for 18% of the U.S. population, the demand for medical care is expected to continue increasing. Across the U.S., hospitals and private practices are pushing their limits to provide quality care and meet patients' needs.
But there’s one major roadblock: we are falling short of healthcare workers.
We’re facing a severe workforce shortage, making it harder to deliver quality care. The HRSA expects a shortage of 124,180 physicians (full-time equivalents) in the United States by 2027. And it’s not stopping there. By 2037, the gap could grow to 187,130 physicians, a 16% deficit.
Hiring more staff might seem like the obvious fix for any workforce shortage, but in reality, it’s not enough. We require a multifaceted approach beyond recruitment to build a sustainable health workforce and maintain high-quality patient care. Let’s explore 6 effective strategies to overcome the healthcare workforce shortage and enhance practice efficiency.
Employee turnover is a financial strain that healthcare organizations can’t afford, especially in today’s challenging economic climate.
An effective way to prevent staff shortage is to focus on retaining existing talent. High turnover disrupts workflows, lowers morale, and drives up operational costs. Similarly, recruiting, onboarding, and integrating new employees demand significant time and resources. So, your top priority must be to keep your current team engaged and satisfied. To stop the talent drain:
There’s a rich source of future healthcare professionals waiting to be tapped. Collaborate with medical schools, nursing programs, and community colleges to build a reliable talent pipeline. Offer internships and scholarships well before residency programs to attract fresh talent, filter skilled candidates, and seamlessly integrate students into your workforce early.
Engaging with young professionals before they enter the job market boosts your organization’s visibility and positions it as a top employer. Providing hands-on experience, mentorship, and a clear career pathway helps you secure a steady flow of skilled professionals ready to step in when needed.
Bringing in new staff won’t solve the healthcare workforce crisis if inefficiencies in your workflow persist. Administrative burden and a lack of work-life balance create a vicious cycle: employees leave due to burnout, new hires step in, get overwhelmed, and the cycle repeats.
Tech is the cheat code to fix this mess. It's time to shift to automation to optimize your workflows, boost productivity, reduce stress, and create an environment where employees want to stay.
Leverage Telehealth & Virtual Care to manage high patient volumes with less stress. Shift follow-ups, chronic care, and mental health consultations online. This improves access to care, reduces no-shows, and helps reduce provider fatigue and scheduling constraints.
Excessive administrative work is driving healthcare professionals out of the industry. The endless cycle of charting, prior authorizations, and patient documentation consumes valuable time, leaving providers drained. AI-powered automation takes these tedious tasks off their plate and allows physicians to focus on patient care. For example, AI scribes like GlaceScribe transcribe speech into text in real time, empowering physicians to document patient encounters with minimal screen time. Likewise, advanced AI-integrated EHR systems such as GlaceEMR streamline access to patient records, generate concise patient summaries, and enhance clinical decision-making.
Real-time workforce management tools provide visibility into employee schedules, overtime, and staffing gaps, enabling quick, data-driven decisions about workforce allocation. If your practice relies on float pools, a streamlined integration system prevents last-minute chaos.
Credentialing can also be a logistical nightmare, leading to delays in care and reimbursement. Automating credentialing helps track expiration dates, flag missing documentation, prevent reimbursement disruptions, and create a more flexible workforce.
High patient volumes can be overwhelming and may lead to decision fatigue, workflow bottlenecks, and staff burnout. Many healthcare providers experienced this firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic when unpredictable surges crippled staffing and resource allocation.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can analyze patient history, lab results, and genetic data to detect disease risks or complications and generate real-time, actionable insights that assist physicians in decision-making. Furthermore, it supports optimal resource allocation, prioritizing patients requiring immediate attention and minimizing preventable complications.
AI-powered predictive models streamline triage processes, prioritize high-risk patients, and ensure efficient care delivery during peak demand. Moreover, AI can detect patients at high risk of post-discharge complications, enabling healthcare teams to intervene proactively and support better recovery outcomes.
The pandemic introduced flexibility in work schedules, and now, healthcare professionals expect the same level of control over their time. Rigid schedules contribute to burnout and high turnover, but flexible work arrangements boost morale, improve retention, and enhance patient care.
Many administrative tasks, including billing, coding, and telehealth services, don’t require an on-site presence. Offering remote work flexibility reduces costs and promotes work-life balance.
Technology plays a game-changing role in workforce management. AI-powered scheduling tools help eliminate scheduling conflicts, optimize staff allocation, and ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time.
Self-scheduling extends flexibility, empowering healthcare professionals to manage their shifts with greater autonomy. When employees are free to choose schedules that match their availability, practices see fewer last-minute call-outs, higher job satisfaction, and smoother operations.
Your workforce may be well-staffed under normal conditions. However, when patient surges hit, having enough hands on deck becomes challenging, especially during flu season, an outbreak, or a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Float pools and contingent labor provide a reliable solution, ensuring you have trained staff ready to step in when demand spikes.
Internal float pools consist of cross-trained staff who can step in whenever needed. Whether covering shifts for sick calls, vacation time, or seasonal demand spikes, these employees keep operations running smoothly without the need for excessive overtime or last-minute scrambles to fill shifts.
External contingent labor, such as temporary healthcare professionals from staffing agencies, is a lifesaver during staffing shortages. These agencies provide quick access to qualified nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals who can seamlessly integrate into your team. Whether covering seasonal demand, employee absences, or unexpected surges, contingent staffing helps streamline operations without overburdening your permanent staff.
The healthcare workforce shortage is a long-term challenge. Instead of relying solely on hiring more people, we need a smarter, more sustainable approach. It’s time to shift the focus from merely filling vacancies to creating a work environment that supports and empowers healthcare professionals. The future of healthcare depends on how well we take care of those who care for us.
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