2027 Healthcare Workforce Planning: 5 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking Now

Why next year’s staffing strategy needs to start before next year’s budget is finalized.

As healthcare organizations begin finalizing their budgets and operational priorities, 2027 healthcare workforce planning should be a top priority. With ongoing provider shortages, rising labor costs, and increasing pressure to maintain patient access, healthcare leaders need a proactive approach to building a workforce that supports both immediate needs and long-term goals.

The urgency is clear. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the United States faces a projected shortage of more than 141,000 full-time equivalent physicians by 2038. While that projection extends well beyond 2027, it underscores why healthcare organizations need to think strategically about how they recruit, retain, and deploy clinical talent today.

Effective workforce planning isn’t simply about determining how many positions need to be filled next year. It’s about building a clinical workforce that can support the organization’s financial, operational, and patient care goals.

Before finalizing your 2027 workforce strategy, here are five questions worth asking.

1. Where Are Our Greatest Clinical Workforce Vulnerabilities?

Not every vacancy creates the same level of risk.

An open position in a high-demand specialty, a location already struggling with access, or a role critical to patient continuity may have a disproportionate impact on operations.

Start by looking beyond overall vacancy rates. Consider:

• Which positions consistently take the longest to fill?
• Where are turnover, burnout, or retirement risks greatest?
• Which locations or specialties have the least flexibility when someone leaves?
• Where could a single departure significantly disrupt patient access or revenue?

Identifying these vulnerabilities early helps organizations prioritize recruiting resources and develop contingency plans before gaps become urgent.

2. Which Roles Require Permanent Hires, and Where Could Flexible Staffing Make More Sense?

A successful workforce strategy doesn’t necessarily mean filling every opening with a permanent employee.

Some positions are essential to long-term growth and continuity. Others may be better supported through locum tenens, PRN shift coverage, or temporary clinical resources.

The key is matching the staffing model to the business need.

For example, a growing multi-site provider organization may need permanent physicians in core markets while using locum tenens clinicians to maintain access during recruitment. A healthcare facility experiencing fluctuating patient volumes may benefit from PRN coverage rather than adding fixed labor costs.

The question isn’t simply whether to hire. It’s how to build the right mix of permanent and flexible talent.

3. How Are Staffing Gaps Affecting Patient Access, Productivity, and Revenue?

The cost of an open clinical position extends well beyond recruiting expenses.

Depending on the role and setting, vacancies can result in longer appointment wait times, reduced patient capacity, increased overtime, and additional pressure on existing clinicians.

Workforce challenges are also unevenly distributed. HRSA’s health workforce projections indicate a national shortage of nearly 109,000 registered nurses by 2038, with nonmetropolitan areas facing particularly significant gaps. For healthcare organizations already struggling to maintain coverage, these projections reinforce the importance of understanding how workforce limitations affect patient access, operational capacity, and long-term growth.

For organizations operating under value-based care arrangements, staffing gaps may also complicate efforts to maintain continuity, coordinate care, and meet performance objectives.

As part of 2027 planning, consider connecting workforce metrics to operational and financial outcomes.

How many patient appointments are delayed because of staffing limitations? Where are existing providers absorbing unsustainable workloads? What opportunities for growth are being postponed because the necessary clinical talent isn’t available?

Understanding these connections helps elevate workforce planning from a recruiting discussion to a business strategy conversation.

4. Are We Budgeting for Vacancies and Turnover, or Planning to Reduce Them?

Most healthcare organizations account for recruiting costs, turnover, and temporary staffing in their annual budgets.

But there’s an important difference between budgeting for workforce challenges and developing a strategy to address them.

Consider whether your 2027 plan includes:

• Realistic hiring timelines for hard-to-fill clinical roles
• Proactive candidate pipeline development for anticipated vacancies
• Retention and succession planning for critical positions
• Contingency coverage for unexpected departures or leaves
• A clear understanding of when flexible staffing may be more cost-effective than prolonged vacancies

A more proactive approach can help reduce last-minute hiring pressure while giving leaders greater control over staffing decisions and associated costs.

5. Do We Have the Right Recruiting Partnerships to Respond When Workforce Needs Change?

Even the strongest workforce plan needs room to adapt.

A new service line, unexpected resignation, acquisition, or change in patient demand can quickly shift hiring priorities.

That’s why healthcare organizations should evaluate not only their internal recruiting capabilities, but also the external relationships they can activate when needs change.

Can your recruiting partners support both immediate coverage and long-term hiring? Do they understand the operational realities of your organization? Can they help identify qualified clinicians before a vacancy becomes urgent?

The right partnership should do more than respond to open requisitions. It should help your organization anticipate needs, evaluate options, and maintain access to talent as circumstances evolve.

Make 2027 the Year of More Proactive Workforce Planning

Healthcare workforce challenges won’t disappear when the calendar turns to January. But organizations that begin planning now can enter the new year with a clearer understanding of their risks, priorities, and options.

That means looking beyond headcount, aligning staffing decisions with business objectives, and building flexibility into the workforce strategy.

At Optigy Group, we help healthcare organizations navigate these decisions through permanent placement, locum tenens, PRN coverage, and strategic workforce solutions. Whether you’re preparing for growth, addressing persistent vacancies, or building a more flexible staffing model, our team can help you find the right approach.