Taking a break from who is hiring and who was hired, we rounded up some reading on the state of the healthcare workforce. Like many things in our lives for the few years the pandemic has taken a toll on it, the healthcare workforce might be on the top of the list of disruption. With 18% of healthcare workers having left their jobs and another 12% being laid off, what are the solutions for healthcare as a whole? You can’t open a paper, magazine, or watch news and not hear about the crisis that has evolved. Here are some insights and reports.
In the News
ACR Supports Effort to Prevent Worsening Workforce Shortages
Members of Congress are speaking up about a policy that could make doctor shortages even worse. U.S. Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Michael Lawler (R-NY) brought together 98 bipartisan representatives and senators to send a communication to Kristi Noem, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They urged DHS to provide an exception to a $100,000 fee for employers who petition for new H1 B visas in the healthcare sector. The administration created this new fee last September for certain H1 B petitions.
Aya Healthcare’s 2026 Technology Advisory Board Champions Innovation in Workforce Technology and Data Driven Workforce Solutions
Aya Healthcare, the nation’s largest healthcare workforce solutions technology and staffing company, is building momentum in 2026 by showcasing the continued impact of its Technology Advisory Board (TAB), whose expertise is accelerating innovation and redefining the future of healthcare workforce technology. As the industry leader in workforce solutions for 25 years, Aya partners with thousands of healthcare organizations nationwide, combining powerful technology with experienced teams to strengthen their workforce and serve their communities with confidence.
Healthcare Jobs Boom: Demand Soars as Workforce Shifts
Despite reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2025 earnings, Cigna Group is cutting approximately 2,000 jobs, representing roughly 3% of its 73,500-person workforce, by the end of February 2026. The layoffs are attributed to the company’s efforts to drive ‘greater efficiency across the business’ amid increasing healthcare costs and regulatory pressures. Meanwhile, the healthcare and social assistance sector continues to demonstrate robust growth, now accounting for approximately 15% of all jobs in the United States.
New National Coalition Launches to Preserve Access to Healthcare Careers and Strengthen Workforce
A new national coalition, the Alliance for Healthcare Access & Workforce Development (AHAWD), has launched to address federal policies affecting student access to graduate education, with an aim to enhance the long-term stability of the healthcare workforce.
Landmark Law Renewed to Protect Our Healthcare Workforce’s Mental Health and Wellbeing
Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition, led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, celebrates a massive win for the people who care for us. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act has been signed into law, officially extending its life-saving programs through September 2030.
Building the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals: How NAF Is Strengthening the Workforce Pipeline
Healthcare systems across the United States are confronting a growing and complex workforce crisis. Persistent shortages of nurses, allied health professionals, behavioral health specialists, and community-based providers are straining hospitals and health systems at a time when demand for care continues to rise. While much of the national conversation has focused on recruitment and retention at the post-secondary level, one organization is addressing the challenge much earlier, by preparing high school students for careers in healthcare before they ever step onto a college campus. NAF, a national network of education, business, and community leaders, is working to ensure students are college, career, and future ready by bringing schools and employers together in meaningful ways.
To Read
UC News
Nursing Innovation Emerges as Critical Lever in Healthcare Transformation– By Evelyn Fleider – Nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, uniquely positioned at the intersection of patient care, technology, safety, and systems operations. Amid workforce shortages, escalating care complexity, and rapid digital transformation, they represent a powerful yet underutilized force for meaningful change.
American Hospital Association
5 Innovations Strengthening the Rural Health Care Workforce – By Jennifer Parello, Director of Content, AHA Center for Health Innovation – Rural health care has never had the luxury of waiting for perfect conditions. With smaller teams, tighter margins and vast service areas, rural hospitals have long been forced to innovate out of necessity — testing new workforce models, building unconventional pipelines and redesigning care with fewer resources and higher stakes. As workforce shortages deepen nationwide, many of the most practical, scalable solutions are emerging not from large urban systems, but from rural communities willing to rethink how talent is developed, supported and retained.
Healthcare Hiring Shows Early 2026 Momentum Amid Growing Candidate Interest, According to iCIMS Data
iCIMS, a provider of talent acquisition technology, released its iCIMS Insights February 2026 Workforce Report recently, revealing that labor market momentum increased in early 2026 with applications, openings and hires rising month-over-month. Although the data reflects a softer start to the year, the report offers clear opportunities for organizations to convert strong candidate interest into hires. It also takes a closer look at the healthcare sector, where early signs of a potential rebound in clinical and nonclinical hiring are emerging.
Robert Half
2026 Non-clinical healthcare job market: In-demand roles and hiring trends – How work gets done is changing rapidly, as are the skills required to drive business success. Companies across industries are launching new initiatives, adopting AI and adjusting to shifting demands, and seeking skilled talent to support growth and modernization. But many organizations remain cautious about adding headcount too quickly. As a result, staffing conversations in early 2026 are increasingly focused on which roles are most essential and how to hire effectively. Read the report.
Syncx
10 Healthcare Workforce Trends to Watch in 2026 – The compounding pressures of the last few years have accelerated a silent healthcare workforce crisis from a simmer to a rolling boil, forcing a fundamental re-examination of how we support, manage, and value clinical talent. We’re moving into an era of profound transformation defined by technological disruption, evolving care models, and a non-negotiable demand for well-being. In this landscape, staying ahead is an operational imperative. This blog dives into 10 critical trends set to define the healthcare workforce in 2026, providing a roadmap for leaders ready to build a more agile, sustainable, and resilient future. From the strategic integration of AI to the urgent need to combat burnout and stabilize a volatile staffing market, we break down the forces that will shape the next year as well as what your organization can do to not just navigate them, but to lead.
LocumTenens.com
5 things your healthcare organization can’t afford to continue doing in 2026 – The care continuum is made up of healthcare organizations of all sizes and specialties. The difference between the ones that thrive in 2026 and those that continue to struggle won’t be determined by budget size, but by willingness to let go of outdated workforce practices. The trends of 2025 revealed a shift in the industry from crisis management to strategic transformation. However, some practices that worked in the past are actively undermining organizational success in 2026.