New Plan Showcases Data-Driven Solutions to Michigan’s Looming Healthcare Workforce Challenges

CONTACT: Ana Hornburg

Michigan Health Council

[email protected]

517-908-8229

Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan offers clear path forward as stakeholders seek to address aging population and shortage of workers

OKEMOS, Mich.—(April 28, 2025)— With Michigan facing an aging population and a looming shortage of health care providers, Michigan Health Council (MHC) today released a new plan aimed at guiding the implementation of data-driven solutions to the state's health care workforce challenges.

Key recommendations of the 2025 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan include strengthening existing statewide health care career awareness, exploration, and preparation activities; expanding partnerships between education and health care settings to reduce geographical and other barriers to earning a health care certification or degree; and focusing on understanding health care staffing and retention across the state. 

“Michigan stands at a critical crossroads,” said Craig Donahue, President and CEO of MHC. “Our aging population is driving increased health care demand, our current health care workforce is approaching a retirement cliff, and we continue to struggle getting people into the workforce pipeline. The time for decisive action is now to ensure quality health care remains accessible for all Michiganders. We see the Workforce Plan as an opportunity to engage stakeholders in the work of implementing solutions."

Supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, the Workforce Plan is built upon a strategic framework consisting of four key pillars:

• Grow Interest in Healthcare Careers – Expanding career readiness opportunities for students through enhanced K-12 career development, increased job shadowing and observation experiences, and targeted student engagement programs.

• Improve Access to Healthcare Education – Removing barriers to health care education by expanding collaborative programs, increasing the availability of healthcare apprenticeships, and improving transfer pathways to make health care education more accessible and affordable.

• Increase Experiential Education Capacity – Addressing the shortage of clinical placement sites and educators by expanding the use of alternative training sites, supporting and incentivizing clinical faculty and preceptors, and collecting data to better understand and utilize clinical capacity.

• Explore Recruitment and Retention Strategies – Encouraging partnerships that build local talent pipelines, improving access to career development opportunities for all health care workers, and better understanding turnover using data.

"The health of Michigan residents is intrinsically linked to the state of our health workforce. That is why this report is important,” said Kari Sederburg, Vice President for Programs and Director for Healthy Aging at the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. “By providing training pathways, recruitment, and retention recommendations, the report speaks to workers’ needs throughout their careers. Helping our health professionals thrive requires a shared vision and aligned actions to meet our communities’ health needs today and tomorrow.” 

The Workforce Plan has been informed by extensive data analysis and research, including the Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index, a first-of-its-kind product of MHC that assessed the health of 36 health care occupations in Michigan based on four inputs–wages, growth, shortages, and turnover–to determine how each occupation is faring in our economy. The Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index and the 2025 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan demonstrate how MHC works to foster collaboration between healthcare employers, educational institutions, associations, workforce organizations, and policymakers. 

“The next step is critical,” Donahue said. “This plan comes to life when stakeholders engage with each of the Workforce Plan’s proposals, putting into motion actionable solutions critical to the future health of Michiganders.” 

Download the plan at mhc.org/workforceplan.

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About Michigan Health Council

Michigan Health Council (MHC) is a solutions-oriented nonprofit organization on a mission to ensure the future of the healthcare workforce. Learn more at mhc.org.   

 About the Michigan Health Endowment Fund

The Michigan Health Endowment Fund works to improve the health and wellness of Michigan residents and reduce the cost of healthcare, with a special focus on children and seniors. Find more information about the Health Fund at mihealthfund.org