Report details recommendations to address challenges facing the state’s healthcare workforce

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced on Aug 19th, the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce has released its final report and advisory action plan providing solutions to address the state’s longstanding healthcare workforce shortages that have plagued the state for years.

“Wisconsin has seen historically low unemployment and a record-high number of Wisconsinites employed, but Wisconsin’s decade-long struggle to retain, attract, and train talented workers to address our workforce shortages in key industries continues to hold our state back,” said Gov. Evers. “This action plan will help bring more folks into the healthcare profession and ensure that Wisconsinites get the care they need and the quality of life they deserve. So, I want to thank the Task Force for their dedication and commitment to finding meaningful and achievable solutions that will carry us into the future.

“Making sure our workforce is prepared to meet the needs of a 21st-century economy is a top priority for me and must be a top priority for our state, including the State Legislature, and I look forward to working together and considering these recommendations in the next biennial budget,” concluded Gov. Evers.

As previewed in his 2024 State of the State address when he declared 2024 the Year of the Worker, Gov. Evers established the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce in January by signing Executive Order #220. The Task Force was charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system, including recruitment and retention, identifying ways to improve patient care and alleviate the burdens on the healthcare workforce, exploring educational and training pathways to grow a sustainable healthcare workforce, and creating an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training for consideration in the governor’s 2025-27 executive budget.

The 25-member task force met six times since March to hear from healthcare industry experts and leaders, analyze labor market data, and produce an advisory action plan for Gov. Evers’ review and consideration. As a result of those meetings, the Task Force adopted 10 recommendations with 26 action items representing a variety of policies and programs to address various industry issues, including education, training, recruitment, and retention of healthcare workers. The action plan represents a strategic set of policy and implementation approaches targeting the healthcare industry’s chronic challenges.

“As a nurse and public health professional, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges our nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers face,” said Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. “That’s why it has been a top priority for both Gov. Evers and our entire state to ensure our healthcare workforce has the resources, support, and talented professionals required to meet our future needs and the needs of our state’s aging population.”

“The healthcare workforce is the foundation of our ability to deliver quality care. And like in many other states, that workforce is in crisis with high levels of burnout that were only exacerbated by the pandemic. We must advocate for our workers with actionable steps immediately,” said Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kirsten Johnson. “The task force recommendations do just that, ensuring Wisconsinites are able to access health care when they need it and are able to live their best lives.”

“We know that without action, the workforce shortage coupled with an aging population will create a bleak future in one of our most relied-upon industries; a potential deficit of 12,000 to 19,000 registered nurses by 2040 and nearly 32,000 annual openings across healthcare populations between now and 2030,” said Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek. “The recommendations from the task force will ensure Wisconsin is prepared to meet the needs of a 21st-century economy.”

The plan: 

• Presents a comprehensive analysis of current and future workforce challenges impacting the healthcare sector; 

• Explores educational and training pathways to create a more diverse, equitable, and sustainable workforce; 

• Identifies strategies to improve patient care and alleviate the burden on our healthcare workforce; and 

• Recommends solutions, including new policies and programs, modifications to existing programs, and necessary changes to state statutes. 

Solutions address three broad categories, including education and training, recruitment and retention, and regulatory policy, including:

Education and training 

• Support faculty who teach healthcare professions through increased compensation and incentives; 

• Expand access to clinical training and hands-on experiences; 

• Break down barriers by funding wraparound services for students, including transportation and child care; and 

• Sustain and expand training programs for direct care professionals and certified nurse aides.

Recruitment and retention 

• Adopt Medicaid Expansion to support healthcare workers and fund workforce initiatives; 

• Increase rates for home and community-based services and behavioral health providers;  

• Continue and create grant funding for innovative programs and trainings to support employers; and 

• Ensure healthcare workers are able to navigate insurance benefits options.

Regulatory policy 

• Authorize Medicaid to pay for community-focused services, such as those provided by doulas and community health workers; 

• Support pathways to licensure for qualified internationally educated professionals; 

• Enter into multi-state licensing compacts, allowing professionals to practice in other participating states; and  

• Fund and grow healthcare workforce wellness programming to support retention.

Read the full Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce Advisory Action Plan and learn more about the work of the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce on the DHS website.