Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association On the Mend: Progress and Pain Points for Massachusetts’ Healthcare Workforce
Massachusetts hospitals and health systems have helped cement the state’s status as the top-ranked healthcare system in the nation, due in large part to the people who deliver and oversee care for the commonwealth’s seven million residents. In doing so, they have been a major driver of the state’s economy over the past five years, adding approximately 10,000 well-paying, challenging, and rewarding jobs, primarily in caregiving positions.
Following the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association’s (MHA’s) 2022 report identifying 19,000 vacancies in key roles at hospitals across the state, focused recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts have reduced that number to 13,600.
“This is a remarkable success story — not just for healthcare, but for all of Massachusetts. Even through enormous operational challenges, our hospitals and health systems have devoted a record amount of resources to workforce in recent years. These investments have made a clear difference, and they deserve to be celebrated as a sign of our commonwealth’s success. Every one of these 10,000 new jobs improves care access for a patient, supports a local community, and provides a true livelihood for a friend or neighbor.”
Valerie Fleishman
Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer,
Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association.
MHA, its members, and the state have launched extensive initiatives to grow the Massachusetts healthcare workforce. Those efforts are making a clear difference. Moving forward, additional legislative action and targeted investments are needed to sustain momentum, close remaining gaps, and ultimately expand care access for patients.