Are Rising Wages Making a Difference in Healthcare Worker Shortages?

 
Some call it the effects of the pandemic; others call it the great resignation; no matter what label people pin on the U.S. workforce shortage situation, it’s real and healthcare is not immune to these shortages. The healthcare industry is one of the hardest hit, losing 20% of its workforce over the past two years, including 30% of nursing.

Kevin Stevenson, host of the healthcare insight podcast I don’t Care, and Director of Strategic Operations at Ascension Providence, said wages were rising in healthcare, but that wasn’t necessarily translating to workforce increase or coinciding with healthcare reimbursement increases.

“So many people have left the industry in the past two-and-a-half years, across the board from nurses to physicians, and a large number of administrators have retired early,” Stevenson said.

And some of the essential roles within a hospital, from environmental and nutrition services that do not offer high enough wages, find it difficult to compete with other jobs paying top dollar for similar labor.

“It’s tough to compete when people can go to Chick-fil-A for sometimes five or six dollars more an hour to do work that’s not nearly as physically demanding as many of the jobs we have here in hospitals.”

Even with higher pay offered to nurses and physicians, money alone will not ease the stress the pandemic and understaffing brought to the healthcare workforce. Healthcare organizations are looking for ways to alleviate that pressure, from automated solutions to reduce burdensome EHR documentation to states providing various loan forgiveness programs.

Stevenson said it was critical for healthcare organizations to work within their communities and local universities to drive programs that bring new workers into the healthcare system. With the U.S. projecting a physician shortage between 37,800 and 124,000 within the next twelve years, creating that pipeline is essential. Still, if the pay isn’t attractive enough, it will not incentivize the next generation of healthcare workers.

“That’s what we spend a lot of time on, here in my hospital, is making sure that we have the right people here, the appropriate number of people, and strive to pay them a wage that keeps them fulfilled, and keeps them coming back to work each and every day to care for our patients.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

healthcare
Dr. Kevin Stevenson Gives His Thoughts on the Evolution of Healthcare Over the Past Decades
October 13, 2025

As healthcare continues to transform faster than ever — shaped by post-pandemic burnout, staffing shortages, and the rise of AI — leaders are being forced to rethink what it truly means to deliver both value and compassion in medicine. With the U.S. expected to face a shortage of 64,000 nurses in 2030, healthcare leaders are…

Read More
Fractional leader
The Secret to Smarter Hiring: Tapping Fractional Executives for the Right Expertise, Right When You Need It
October 10, 2025

The rise of the “fractional” executive—leaders who lend their expertise to multiple organizations on a part-time or project basis—marks a major shift in how top talent engages with growing companies. As businesses seek agility without sacrificing expertise, fractional roles are becoming a powerful alternative to full-time hires. In fact, a report found that temporary business…

Read More
Career
How to Build a Purpose-Driven Career in the Age of AI and Acceleration
October 9, 2025

In a world reshaped by AI, global connectivity, and relentless technological advancement, the pace of disruption has never been greater. Careers are being reinvented as industries transform, and individuals everywhere are being challenged to find meaning, adaptability, and creativity in their professional paths. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 86% of…

Read More
youth
Fashion, Identity, and Digital Life Collide: Why Brands Must Listen, Collaborate, and Co-Create With the Next Generation of Youth
October 8, 2025

As the lines blur between fashion, identity, and digital life, brands are racing to understand how today’s youth are reshaping culture and commerce. Pacsun’s new Youth Report 2025, produced in partnership with GlobalData, offers one of the most detailed portraits yet of Gen Z and Gen Alpha—two generations united by self-expression but divided by…

Read More