You know it better than anyone: The healthcare staffing shortage isn’t just about vacancies; it’s about losing time, trust, and the capacity to care.

Whether you’re a physician or a practice leader, you’re dealing with an exhausted workforce, ballooning waitlists, and shrinking margins – all while trying to deliver quality, patient-centered care.

And you’re not alone. According to the Philips Future Health Index 2024, a staggering 81% of U.S. healthcare leaders report delays in care due to staffing shortages. Meanwhile, 92% say staff well-being and morale have taken a direct hit.

This isn’t just inconvenient; it’s unsustainable.

But here’s the good news: you can adapt and thrive by rethinking how care is delivered and by whom.

The State of the Healthcare Staffing Crisis: Why Gaps Are Widening

The healthcare staffing shortage isn’t new, but it is now deeper and broader than ever before. 92% of healthcare leaders are experiencing deteriorating staff well-being and mental health, as well as poor work-life balance as a result of workforce shortages.

Top Challenges from Staffing Shortages	% of Leaders Reporting
Burnout/increased incidence of stress and mental health issues	81%
Deterioration in work-life balance	69%
Low morale or engagement	66%

And it’s not just about retaining employees. 53% of healthcare leaders now report losing staff not just to competitors — but to other industries entirely.

The financial fallout is just as serious:

• 65% say using contract agencies has increased costs and reduced care continuity.
• 34% are cutting staff training due to budget pressures.
• 90% say financial constraints are directly impacting care quality

Five Strategic Levers to Navigate the Healthcare Staffing Crisis

You can’t hire your way out of a systemic shortage, but you can lead your way out by changing how work gets done.

Here’s how forward-thinking healthcare leaders like you can do it:

1. Automate What Can Be Automated — Start with Admin

When your clinicians are bogged down by manual tasks like scheduling or charting, everyone suffers. According to Philips, 88% of healthcare leaders view automation as critical to closing the staffing gap.

Top Areas for Workflow Automation	Already in Use	Planned in 3 Years
Patient check-in and scheduling	53%	–
Workflow prioritization	25%	44%
Clinical documentation and note-taking	32%	42%
Billing and claims processing	21%	33%

Why it matters: Every minute you automate is a minute you give back to direct patient care.

2. Leverage AI to Amplify Human Judgment

Artificial Intelligence isn’t a magic wand — but it can be a powerful assistant. Philips reports that:

• 76% of leaders say AI helps staff operate at their highest skill level.
• 79% are concerned about bias and equity — so proper implementation matters.

The key is strategic application — not hype. Think: diagnostics, remote monitoring, or workflow triage, not AI chatbots trying to replace nuanced clinical decisions.

3. Expand Access and Flexibility with Virtual Care

Virtual care is no longer a backup plan — it’s a capacity multiplier.

• 82% of healthcare leaders say virtual care reduces pressure on staff.
• 40% say it enables expansion of specialist services to underserved areas.
• Remote patient monitoring is already being used in chronic disease, post-op, and senior care settings.

According to Telehealth.HHS.gov, remote patient monitoring is already being used in chronic disease, post-op, and senior care settings — improving outcomes while reducing onsite staffing needs. This model not only reduces onsite staffing demands but also offers greater flexibility for clinicians. As a result, this helps reduce burnout and turnover.

4. Make Data Work Smarter, Not Harder

90% of healthcare leaders say poor data integration is slowing care delivery. From duplicate tests to lack of care coordination, the ripple effects are massive.

Focus on:

• Interoperability between platforms
• Predictive analytics to identify risk earlier
• Dashboards that centralize insights, not just collect data

Doing so frees up staff to act, rather than chase paperwork — and helps you scale care more efficiently.

5. Reimagine Your Workforce

Here’s where the conversation turns from reactive to transformative.

In a world where talent is scarce, you don’t need more bodies onsite. You need skilled support that flexes with your needs — and that’s where medical virtual assistants (MVAs) come in.

Medical Virtual Assistants & The Ongoing Staffing Shortage

Medical virtual assistants are remote professionals, often clinically trained, who specialize in handling the operational, administrative, and even patient-facing tasks that drain your in-house team.

What Can a Medical VA Do for You?

Support Category	Sample Tasks
Administrative	Scheduling, email management, prior auth, data entry, transcription
Patient Communications	Appointment reminders, intake forms, follow-ups, telehealth coordination
Revenue Cycle	Insurance verification, billing prep, claims follow-up
Clinical Support	Chart preparation, EHR updates, scribing, telehealth session assistance

Why MVAs Work So Well During a Staffing Shortage

• Cost-efficient: Reduce admin overhead by up to 70%.
• Experienced: MVAs are vetted, trained, and often have healthcare-specific backgrounds.
• Integrated: With the right onboarding, they operate as seamless extensions of your core team.

“VAs aren’t just helpful, they’re a lifeline,” said Joana Montejo, Director of Business Operations at My Mountain Mover. “They lift the burden so doctors can get back to what they do best: saving lives, not clicking boxes.”

Bottom line: Medical VAs free up your highest-value clinical staff to focus on what only they can do – diagnose, treat, and care.

Don’t Just Survive the Shortage

The staffing crisis isn’t just a test of endurance; it’s a test of leadership! You have a choice whether you keep fighting to preserve a strained status quo or rethink how care gets delivered altogether. 

The smartest healthcare leaders aren’t waiting for the system to fix itself;  they’re rewriting the playbook using automation, AI, virtual care, and remote staff to build a more agile, efficient, and sustainable future.

“We stand at an inflection point. The demands on the system – and the pressure on our healthcare workforce – will only increase. Collaboration among healthcare providers, technology innovators, policymakers and communities is essential to driving solutions that provide better care for more people,” says Jeff DiLullo, Chief Region Leader of Philips North America.

That collaboration starts with you. By embracing modern support models, you can relieve overburdened teams, improve patient access, and reclaim control of your practice without sacrificing care quality.

FAQ

1. What is causing the current healthcare staffing shortage?

The shortage stems from multiple compounding factors:

• Burnout and mental health strain (reported by 81% of leaders)
• Poor work-life balance (69%)
• Low morale (66%)
• Financial pressures that limit hiring and training
• Clinicians leaving the field entirely — not just switching jobs — as noted by 53% of healthcare leaders

2. How is the staffing crisis affecting healthcare delivery?

The most common impacts include:

• Delays in patient care (81%)
• Longer waitlists for appointments (69%)
• Increased stress on remaining staff
• Decreased ability to serve underserved communities
• Reduced investment in quality improvements due to budget constraints

3. Can automation really help reduce the effects of the staffing shortage?

Yes. Automation is one of the most effective ways to reclaim staff time. In fact, 88% of healthcare leaders view automation as critical. Common applications include:

• Patient scheduling and check-ins
• Billing and claims
• Documentation and note-taking
• Workflow prioritization

4. What role does AI play in supporting healthcare staff?

Artificial Intelligence helps reduce administrative and cognitive load by:

• Supporting diagnostic and treatment decisions
• Assisting in remote patient monitoring
• Prioritizing patient workflows
• 76% of healthcare leaders say AI enables staff to work at their highest skill level, though 79% are also cautious about data bias, calling for ethical implementation.

5. How can virtual care help address workforce shortages?

Virtual care increases capacity and flexibility by:

• Reducing onsite staffing needs
• Enabling care delivery in rural or underserved areas
• Allowing clinicians to work remotely, improving retention

82% of leaders agree that virtual care eases staffing pressure, with 40% using it to expand access to specialists.

6. Why is data integration so important in healthcare staffing strategy?

Poor data integration wastes valuable time and resources. 90% of healthcare leaders say it impairs their ability to deliver timely care. Fixing this involves:

• Improving interoperability between systems
• Using analytics to predict risk
• Giving staff streamlined dashboards to access essential insights

7. What are Medical VAs and how do they help?

Medical virtual assistants are trained professionals who work remotely to handle critical admin and clinical support tasks, such as:

• Scheduling and prior authorizations
• Patient communication and follow-ups
• Charting, scribing, and EHR updates
• Billing prep and claims management

They’re HIPAA-compliant and highly cost-effective — often reducing admin overhead by up to 70%.

8. Are Medical VAs difficult to onboard and integrate with in-house staff?

No. When properly onboarded, Medical VAs operate as seamless extensions of your team. They:

• Use your systems (like EHRs, billing platforms, scheduling tools)
• Can participate in daily huddles or check-ins
• Provide consistent, reliable support that scales with your needs

9. How do I know if MVAs are right for my practice or facility?

If your team is overwhelmed with repetitive tasks, your patients are experiencing delays, or you’re spending too much on contract staffing, medical VAs are worth considering. They’re especially helpful for:

• Solo or small group practices
• High-volume clinics
• Specialty providers needing admin help without hiring an in-person staff