The overall healthcare worker vacancy rate in Wisconsin hospitals was 9.9% in September of 2022, a critical but stable post-pandemic rate compared to the identical 9.9% seen in September 2021, according to the 2024 "Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Report."
Here are five updates from the report:
1. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be at the age of retirement, but in Wisconsin, that rate is 1 in 4. The increased healthcare demand, labor shortages and high retirements will create challenges for hospitals, the report suggested.
2. Hospitals hired 5.65% more nurses in 2022 compared to 2021, according to the NSI Nursing Solutions 2023 "National Health Care Retention and RN Staffing Report." However, even with a hiring increase, Wisconsin's registered nurse vacancy rate is 10%. The national RN vacancy rate is around 16%, the report said.
3. There were 46,000 licensed nursing home beds available for 143,000 blind, disabled and elderly Wisconsin people on Medicaid in 2002. This is a stark contrast to the 26,000 licensed nursing home beds available to meet the needs of 270,000 elderly, disabled and blind people on Medicaid in 2024. "Nursing home bed closures have created a bottleneck in post-acute care access," the report said. "Nursing home bed shortages that rose sharply during the pandemic have continued into 2024 with hundreds of community members ready to leave the hospital remaining under the care of hospital teams because a post-acute care placement is not available."
4. While nurse practitioner employment will see a 38% growth rate in the next 10 years with 30,000 added jobs annually until 2032, this growth rate is still not enough to meet the growing needs for healthcare workers in Wisconsin, the report said.
5. "Addressing health care workforce shortages will require a concerted effort and sustainable immediate, midrange and long-term solutions," Eric Borgerding, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said in a March 11 news release regarding the report. "Health care organizations, educators, state regulators and elected officials must continue partnering to minimize outdated barriers and implement innovations to encourage, support and advance health care workers in their pursuit of fulfilling attainable and meaningful careers."
The Wisconsin Hospital Association is headquartered in Fitchburg, Wis., and is an advocate for more than 140 hospital and health system members in the state.