Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Healthcare Workforce Shortages and the Financial Strain Threatening Care Delivery with Dr. Harry Severance
Dec 28, 2025
Dr. Harry Severance, a physician and renowned healthcare strategist, dives into the alarming clinician and nursing shortages plaguing the healthcare system. He discusses the rising burnout among medical professionals and a dwindling interest in healthcare careers. The conversation highlights how financial pressures and unpaid care threaten hospital viability, with many facilities facing closure. Severance advocates for collaboration among healthcare leaders and raises the potential of universal healthcare as a solution to safeguard access and affordability.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Accelerating Workforce Exodus
- The U.S. is losing hands-on healthcare workers across doctors, nurses and allied clinicians at accelerating rates.
- Young students are increasingly rejecting healthcare careers due to toxicity, burnout and violence, worsening a looming shortage.
Pipeline Is Drying As Demand Climbs
- Medical and nursing students report high intent to quit or avoid patient care, with nearly 25% saying they'd leave medical school.
- This threatens long-term pipeline capacity while demand rises from aging baby boomers.
Service Lines Closing After Provider Loss
- Dr. Severance describes hospitals losing entire service lines when clinicians leave or retire early.
- He cites surgical subspecialties and closed ORs as direct consequences of clinician departures.