The morning session will center on the immediate and urgent need to declare the persistent nursing and clinician shortage a national public health emergency. This follows CTeL's recent engagement with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in June 2025, where the severity of this crisis was undoubtedly a key discussion point.
The session will likely highlight the critical implications of this shortage, which include:
Deterioration of Patient Care and Outcomes: Emphasizing how insufficient staffing directly impacts patient safety, access to care, and the overall quality of healthcare services.
Worsening Clinician Burnout and Attrition: Discussing the unsustainable strain on existing healthcare professionals, leading to increased burnout, reduced job satisfaction, and further departures from the workforce.
Exacerbated Health Disparities: Addressing how the shortage disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and rural areas, widening existing gaps in healthcare access.
Threat to Public Health Preparedness: Underscoring how a depleted workforce compromises the nation's ability to effectively respond to future health crises, pandemics, and other emergencies.
The declaration of a public health emergency would likely unlock various federal resources and flexibilities, which the working group will explore, such as:
Expanded Funding and Grant Opportunities: For nursing and medical schools to increase capacity, attract new students, and retain faculty.
Regulatory Waivers and Flexibilities: Potentially easing licensing barriers across state lines, expanding telehealth services, and allowing for innovative care delivery models.
Financial Incentives: Such as loan repayment programs, tax credits, and scholarships to attract and retain healthcare professionals in underserved areas and critical specialties.
Workforce Development and Retention Strategies: Including initiatives to support clinician well-being, address administrative burdens, and create more supportive work environments.
The morning session aims to build on CTeL's discussions with HHS, solidifying a unified call to action for federal recognition and intervention to address this pressing crisis and ensure a robust and resilient healthcare workforce for the nation.