Healthcare workforce shortages have worsened in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the pandemic placed immense strain on physician and nursing professions that have yet to recover. Retention challenges arise from demanding work conditions – including inadequate staffing ratios, non-clinical administrative burden, and unsustainable hours – that contribute to provider burnout. Meanwhile, limited capacity among clinical training sites restricts recruitment of new healthcare trainees into the workforce despite high demand. These workforce shortages further widen health disparities among communities with already limited access to specialized care, such as rural and racial/ethnic minoritized communities. Bipartisan efforts are critically needed to advance innovative solutions that tackle these complex issues through varied approaches.

Integrating resources that modernize health care access can address the gap left by workforce shortages. During the pandemic, healthcare providers were called upon to make rapid, coordinated, system-wide pivots towards telehealth service delivery. Leveraging and expanding current telehealth resources is one promising solution to reducing the impact of healthcare shortages on access to care. Furthermore, tele-mentoring can facilitate provider networks to enhance group learning or outsource specialized care to communities that need them. Finally, community health workers present a cost-effective yet untapped workforce to assist in the alleviation of provider burnout. Community health workers bring unique expertise, understanding, and value – often as members of the communities they serve – to enhance the quality and cultural responsiveness of service delivery. Altogether, this briefing will cover: (i) challenges to recruiting and retaining the healthcare workforce, (ii) expanding access to care through telehealth and tele-mentoring, and (iii) tapping community health workers as a valuable resource to enhance service delivery.

Tentative Agenda

Opening Remarks

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, JD

Representative Rich McCormick, MD

Rachel Powell, PhD, CDC Foundation

Challenges to Recruitment and Retention of the Healthcare Workforce

McKenzie Jancsura, PhD, RN, Ohio State University
Susie Breitenstein, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN, Ohio State University

Expanding Access to Care through Telehealth and Tele-mentoring

Ellie Hogentogler, Penn State College of Medicine

How Community Health Workers Enhance Service Delivery

Maysa DeSousa, PhD, Springfield College

Testimonial on Tele-Mentorship

George Garrow, MD, The Primary Health Network, Project ECHO

Discussion

Briefing Recordings