What 10 CEOs Said About Workforce Challenges in 2023

The area of focus was top of mind for leaders across the industry.

Workforce was arguably the biggest pain point for CEOs in 2023 as hospital leaders across the country were forced to consider ways to address labor costs and shortages.

Over the past year, HealthLeaders spoke to CEOs from a wide range of organizations—big and small, urban and rural—and keeping the workforce strong was often one of the first things that was mentioned.

Here’s what 10 CEOs said about workforce challenges in 2023:

Roxanna Gapstur, WellSpan Health

The president and CEO of the nonprofit integrated health system shared five steps that the organization has taken for a “multi-pronged approach” to tackling labor shortages. Those steps include becoming a preferred employer and streamlining recruitment.

Tiffany Miller, Yoakum Community Hospital

At the rural, 23-bed critical access hospital in Yoakum, Texas, the priority has been on recruitment and retention of qualified staff, Miller said. That requires being transparent with your team about the importance of fiscal stewardship.

Dennis Matheis, Sentara Healthcare

Matheis explained how the nonprofit health system has invested in its workforce with pay and benefit increases, as well as adding several thousand new employees. The organization also put together a 10-year workforce plan, even though Matheis acknowledged it could quickly become outdated in a ever-changing climate.

Michael Slubowski, Trinity Health

The operator of 88 hospitals across 26 states saw labor costs rise significantly, forcing it to get creative. By implementing new care models, Slubowski said, Trinity has been able to keep nurses who otherwise would have left the profession.

Eric Dickson, UMass Memorial Health

Dickson, who has experience as an emergency physician, revealed that the health system has implemented over 100,000 ideas from frontline workers over the 10 years he’s been at the helm. Embracing innovation has allowed the organization to find “new and better ways to do things.”

Tommy Ibrahim, Bassett Healthcare Network

During his time guiding the rural health system, Ibrahim tried to take what he learned from the pandemic to strengthen the organization’s workforce. Addressing “weakened infrastructure that’s now become weaker” was critical to ensuring the sustainability of the organization.

John Couris, Tampa General Hospital

Tampa General Hospital found financial success through curbing its reliance on agency staffing. Couris said the organization’s agency usage fell by 70%, allowing the health system to invest in its own workforce.

Scott Wester, Memorial Healthcare System

The South Florida-based nonprofit system slashed staff turnover and lowered utilization of agency nurse traveleres and outside contracts. Wester said he was impressed with how the organization “changed the narrative on our workforce.”

Joe Perras, Cheshire Medical Center

The recently-appointed CEO of the rural hospital shared his plans to get out of the red, which includes accounting for a hyper mobile workforce. Rather than completely eliminating reliance on traveling nurses and traveler tech position, Perras said the hospital must find ways to pay them to maintain high quality of care.

Michael Charlton, AtlantiCare Health System

The new leader of the Atlantic County-based health system stressed that workforce was his main priority since taking over the position, but also offered his insight on CEO turnover in the industry. Charlton said “the pressures have just gotten overwhelming” for CEOs and that has contributed to resignations and retirements.