DES MOINES – The Iowa Medical Society released the Healthcare Workforce report which captures three overarching themes to solving the labor shortage in Iowa. Participants from the May 14 Healthcare Workforce Summit meeting earlier this year voted and agreed these are the top recommendations to begin to move the needle for access to quality care:

 

1. Support early (middle and high school) exposure to healthcare careers with hands-on opportunities

• Grassroots and pipeline recruitment
• Schools, colleges, healthcare employers, workforce boards, etc.
• Identify existing programs and promote opportunities

 

2. Improve work environments (support employee autonomy, reduce admin burdens)

• Employee well-being and retention
• Employees, HR, leadership, IT partners
• Assess autonomy and admin burden issues and identify burnout drivers

 

3. Redesign work structures to address burnout systematically and assess autonomy and admin burden issues

• Staff well-being and operational sustainability
• Clinical leaders, wellness teams, staff, and policy advisors
• Identify burnout drivers and pilot new care models

 

“We received great input from participants during the Healthcare Workforce Summit and this report is a result of their thinking and collaboration on this critically important topic,” said Steven W. Churchill, MNA, CEO of Iowa Medical Society. “These recommendations are an important start toward making real progress to help solve the healthcare labor shortage in Iowa. The action steps are tangible, doable, and demand urgent attention.”

This report captures the key discussions, insights, and results that will help guide the statewide strategy of the Iowa Rural Healthcare Workforce Taskforce. The taskforce comprises healthcare

system and hospital leaders, medical educators, rural community experts, business workforce leaders, and healthcare professionals who come together multiple times a year to address healthcare workforce recruitment, education and training, retention, and sustainability practices across the state. The next taskforce meeting is September 18, 2025, where further details and action items will be developed along with the strategic action plan.

Background on the Iowa Healthcare Workforce Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Initiative

IMS, in coordination with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Iowa Hospital Association, the Iowa Pharmacy Association, and the Iowa Primary Care Association, lead the Iowa Healthcare Workforce Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Initiative. The goal of the project is to gather and use input from local communities and healthcare workforce stakeholders to identify actionable solutions that can advance Iowa’s healthcare workforce. This summit was one such broader gathering that not only identified actionable solutions but prioritized them so it can inform the Initiatives Strategic Action Plan and Task Force.

About IMS

The Iowa Medical Society (IMS) was established in 1850 and is the largest and oldest statewide professional association for physicians, residents, and medical students, representing nearly 6,000 members. We work to advance the practice of medicine through advocacy, education, and engagement with physicians throughout Iowa to ensure the highest quality of care for the patients they serve.

To learn more or get involved in the Iowa Rural Healthcare Workforce Taskforce, please reach out to IMS at contactus@iowamedical.org.