Workforce Technology Eases Staffing Shortages in Rural Health Care

As health care organizations grapple with rising patient demand and a worsening clinician shortage, the traditional approach to staffing is no longer sustainable.¹ With nearly 22,000 primary care physicians already in deficit—a number expected to climb to 34,000 by 2035—the industry faces a critical inflection point. Although value-based care promises lower costs and better outcomes, it’s undercut by growing workforce gaps and mounting administrative burdens. To address these challenges and scale effective care, providers are turning to workforce management technology—not just to fill shifts, but to fundamentally reimagine how care is delivered.

As clinician shortages grow, hospitals turn to artificial intelligence (AI) and scheduling tools to optimize resources, reduce burnout, and expand patient access—especially in rural communities. | Image credit: Sai - stock.adobe.com

Workforce Technology Solutions

Workforce management technology is emerging as a critical lever in addressing health care staffing shortages, not by replacing staff, but by empowering them.² Hospitals and health systems are increasingly deploying tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and digital platforms to reduce administrative burden, improve scheduling, and enhance team coordination. These technologies support workforce resilience in 5 key areas: promoting well-being through digital wellness and leadership tools; alleviating administrative load via automation and AI; increasing flexibility with predictive scheduling and labor pool management; reducing friction in human resource processes; and optimizing care delivery with virtual staffing, predictive analytics, and improved electronic health record usability. By streamlining operations and creating a more supportive work environment, workforce management technology helps retain talent, improve efficiency, and ultimately expand capacity to deliver high-quality care.

Workforce Burden

Despite the steep financial and human costs of clinician burnout—estimated at $9 billion annually for nurses and up to $6.3 billion for physicians—47% of health care organizations are still not prioritizing employee experience in their digital transformation strategies, according to a survey by QGenda.³ Encouragingly, among the 77% of organizations that do recognize workforce management as a strategic focus are investing in digital scheduling solutions, which can greatly improve staff satisfaction by increasing flexibility and fostering a sense of control. However, significant gaps remain. The survey also found that only 54% health care organizations are optimizing pay calculations, despite widespread payroll inaccuracies that frustrate staff and erode trust. Even fewer (44%) are addressing on-call scheduling, an area notorious for creating stress and miscommunication.

While staffing challenges affect health care systems across the board, they are especially critical in rural areas, where recruiting and retaining clinicians is often more difficult due to geographic isolation and limited local talent pools, explains Patrick Hunt, chief medical officer at QGenda, in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care®. In these settings, workforce management technology becomes not just helpful but essential. Advanced scheduling systems can optimize limited resources by ensuring every shift is covered efficiently and fairly, while also providing staff with much-needed flexibility—an increasingly important factor in job satisfaction and retention.

Just as important, these platforms generate valuable data on labor utilization, including premium labor costs, enabling rural hospitals to make informed staffing decisions that preserve both quality of care and financial sustainability.

“Everybody—especially rural facilities—have a significant challenge with the staffing; it's just hard to recruit individuals to more rural places,” said Hunt. “I think a couple things come to mind on that. One is having optimized and the most efficient possible scheduling software out of the gate. Just the ability to get good schedules in place and utilize the resources that you have in the most efficient way possible is incredibly valuable.”

The Importance of System-Wide Visibility

In rural health care settings, where resources are limited and patient access is a persistent challenge, improving system-wide visibility into staffing and care team development is essential for driving operational efficiency, explains Hunt. By leveraging workforce management tools that provide real-time insights into how providers, ancillary staff, and physical space are being utilized, rural hospitals and clinics can make more informed decisions about how to allocate their limited capacity. These technologies support smarter scheduling and capacity planning, enabling facilities to maximize the number of patients they can serve without overextending staff. When even a 10% to 15% increase in patient access can make a significant difference in a rural community, optimizing the use of every available resource—human and physical—becomes a powerful strategy for improving care delivery and outcomes.

“A lot of those facilities, they may not be as big, they may not have tons and tons of open space available,” said Hunt. “Find[ing] the way to use it effectively makes a big difference.”

References

1. Perzigian A, Mody A. Contributor: Tackling clinician capacity shortages in value-based care. AJMC®. March 7, 2025. Accessed June 16, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/contributor-tackling-clinician-capacity-shortages-in-value-based-care

2. Strengthening the health care workforce. American Hospital Association. Accessed June 16, 2025. https://www.aha.org/workforce-strategies/technological-supports

3. The state of healthcare digital transformation. QGenda. Accessed June 16, 2025. https://www.qgenda.com/healthcare-workforce-management-digital-transformation-report/