Article Summary –
Michigan is experiencing a significant healthcare staffing crisis, with a report by the Michigan Health Council predicting lower growth across 36 healthcare occupations and highlighting the potential for severe shortages by 2035 due to high turnover and an aging workforce. The most acute shortages are expected in home health and personal care aides, with a projected need for over 140,000 additional professionals in the next decade, exacerbated by stagnant wage growth and an increasing elderly population. To address these challenges, it is crucial for Michigan to enhance healthcare occupation pipelines, improve recruitment and retention strategies, and ensure a comprehensive understanding among stakeholders of the underlying issues affecting the healthcare workforce.
Michigan faces a significant healthcare staffing crisis, which experts predict will worsen. A recent report by the Michigan Health Council highlights an alarming decline in the state’s healthcare workforce. The 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index indicates reduced growth across 36 healthcare occupations, with high turnover and an aging workforce potentially leading to shortages by 2035.
Dentistry leads in growth, stability, and salary, while pharmacy technicians rank lowest. The “health” of cardiovascular technician and dental hygienist professions improved, but optometrist and pharmacist roles declined. In a statement, Karalyn Kiessling, Michigan Health Council’s director of data and research, emphasized the urgent need for action to address the gap between workforce capacity and increasing care demands.
The Society for Women’s Health Research notes clinician shortages result in prolonged appointment waits, rushed visits, delays in treatment, and communication breakdowns between primary care providers and specialists.
Home health and personal care aides face the most severe shortages. The report projects a need for over 140,000 additional professionals in the next decade, driven by an aging population, workforce, high turnover, and stagnant wages in this low-paying healthcare sector.
Nearly 2 million of Michigan’s 10 million residents are 65 or older, according to USA Facts. The report urges Michigan to enhance healthcare occupation pipelines, recruit new providers, and retain current employees. Craig Donahue, Michigan Health Council’s president and CEO, stressed understanding the pressures driving workforce challenges is crucial for prioritizing impactful solutions to improve access to care.
—
Read More Michigan News
