Michigan’s healthcare system is facing mounting pressure from workforce shortages, rising costs, Medicaid cuts, an aging population, and persistent disparities in access to care. This combination of issues contributes to fractures in who receives timely and accessible healthcare in the state, with rural communities, low-income residents, communities of color, aging populations, and other historically underserved populations disproportionately impacted.

This year (2026), the first Baby Boomers turn 80. By 2031, the proportion of Michigan’s Baby Boomers aged 85+ will surge, making the state’s seniors older and more in need of care overall.

Baby Boomers revolutionized healthcare. They powered it. Now the system faces its greatest test: caring for the generation that helped create it. This generation, 76 million strong (1946-1964), drove hospital expansion, filled two-thirds of nursing roles in the 1990s, and pioneered new healthcare careers as Boomer women entered the workforce in record numbers. As the Baby Boomers hit retirement, that legacy began to reverse. Since 2016, about 60,000 Registered Nurses have re

School-Based Healthcare Professionals Series: Part 1 This article launches our School-Based Healthcare Professionals Series, an exploration of the many health career paths that intersect with education. These dedicated professionals are essential to maintaining student well-being, supporting learning, and nurturing the next generation's interest in healthcare. More Than Just Sports Support In many schools, the person most likely to “catch” a concussion isn’t a doctor or a nur

Report offers concrete strategies to grow the state's behavioral health workforce pipeline through Career and Technical Education programs and courses CONTACT : Ana Hornburg Michigan Health Council [email protected] (517) 908-8229 OKEMOS, Mich. —( Feb. 23, 2026) — Michigan is among the worst states in the country for offering behavioral health-related Career and Technical Education programs, but a comprehensive new report released today by the Michigan Health Council id

Michigan Health Council (MHC) is pleased to announce the release of two new reports offering timely insights into healthcare retention and turnover in Southeast Michigan, a region facing some of the highest turnover rates in the state. At a moment when healthcare organizations continue to navigate persistent workforce shortages, burnout, and shifting labor dynamics, understanding why workers stay or leave has never been more essential. To better illuminate these challenges, M