A patriotic case for investing in the people who keep us healthy

When people think about patriotism, images of waving flags, national anthems, and military service often come to mind. Yet another kind of public service keeps communities functioning and preserves lives: the work of physicians, nurses, paramedics, therapists, public‑health professionals, medical assistants, and the countless support staff behind them. These professionals make up one of the largest workforces in the country. In 2023, the health‑care sector employed over 17 million people, making it the largest sector of employment in the United States.

Every day, this workforce ensures that children are vaccinated, births are safe, emergencies are treated, chronic conditions are managed, and elder‑care facilities run smoothly. Supporting the training, upskilling, and placement of these professionals is not only good business, but it is also deeply patriotic. It creates resilient communities, strengthens the economy, and aligns with the mission of organizations like CWS, whose stated goal is to “redefine the healthcare experience by delivering personalized care solutions and providing top‑tier healthcare professionals who are passionate about making a difference.

Patriotism is about working toward the common good. In this sense, helping build a stronger, smarter, and more compassionate health workforce is one of the most patriotic investments an organization can make. This article explores why the U.S. faces a health‑workforce crisis, why businesses should invest in people, how upskilling pays off economically and socially, and how the private sector can partner with CWS and others to heal America’s workforce and communities.

America’s health‑workforce crisis in numbers

The United States is facing unprecedented shortages of clinicians, compounded by demographic pressures, burnout, and post‑pandemic attrition. A detailed 2024 report from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis notes that there are 933,788 professionally active physicians, yet there is a projected shortage of 187,130 full‑time‑equivalent physicians by 2037. Similarly, the country has over four million registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, but nurse numbers are growing only modestly while populations age. Many positions, particularly in rural or underserved areas, remain unfilled; roughly 75 million people live in a primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), 58 million live in a dental HPSA, and 122 million live in a mental‑health HPSA.

Hospital data from NSI Nursing Solutions’ 2025 Retention and RN Staffing Report illustrate the financial and operational toll of staff turnover. The average hospital turnover rate is 18.3%, and registered nurse turnover is 16.4%. Each percentage point change costs or saves the average hospital about $289,000 per year. The report estimates that the RN vacancy rate remains elevated at 9.6%; more than 41.8% of hospitals reported vacancies of 10% or more, and it takes about 83 days to recruit an experienced RN. Turnover is expensive: losing a bedside RN costs on average $61,110, resulting in losses of $3.9 million to $5.7 million per.

Shortages are not limited to clinicians. The American Hospital Association (AHA) notes that job vacancies for nursing personnel and respiratory therapists increased by roughly 30% from 2019 to 2020. Looking forward, the AHA warns the nation could face 3.2 million health‑care worker shortages by 2026, including a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033 and a need to hire 200,000 nurses annually. Many new graduates lack practical experience because pandemic restrictions limited clinical training. A national nursing‑school bottleneck exacerbates the problem: U.S. nursing programs have turned away more than 80,000 qualified applicants in recent years due to faculty shortages and limited clinical placement sites. In short, demand for health‑care services is rising as the Baby‑Boom generation ages, yet the supply of skilled clinicians is barely keeping pace.

Why is this a patriotic issue

Health‑care shortages are not an abstract inconvenience; they affect national resilience and security. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, the absence of enough intensive‑care nurses and respiratory therapists forced hospitals to implement crisis standards of care, ration resources, and redeploy clinicians into unfamiliar roles. Burnout reached crisis levels; a survey of more than 20,000 health‑care workers found 49 % reported burnout and 43 % felt overworked. A later survey found that nearly 63 % of physicians experienced burnout in 2021. When health workers are depleted, communities suffer, economies falter, and national preparedness weakens.

From a broader perspective, health‑care institutions are economic engines. A 2019 AHA fact sheet reports that U.S. hospitals employed over six million people and supported 18 million jobs in total. Hospitals purchased roughly $1 trillion in goods and services and generated $2.30 of business activity for every dollar spent. Thus, investing in the health workforce supports families, small businesses, and local economies. It is patriotic not because it involves waving a flag, but because it protects the lives and livelihoods of citizens.

Upskilling: turning shortages into opportunities

The human case for training and education

Why do so many health‑care workers leave? The AHA’s Trailblazers Nurse Retention Report found that nearly 70 % of leaders ranked recruitment and retention as their top challenge between July 2020 and November 2023. Salary and frustration with administration topped the list of reasons nurses plan to leave their jobs. Nurses also cited poor staffing ratios, limited flexible scheduling, limited career paths, and inadequate support programs as drivers of attrition. Importantly, the report’s recommended solutions include prioritizing ongoing training and education to develop new skill sets and competencies, offering mentorship programs for new nurses, and providing on‑demand learning platforms. These strategies not only improve retention but also help clinicians deliver safer care.

Workers themselves value skills development. A Harvard Medical School commentary on workforce education notes that nearly 50% of American workers would switch jobs if offered skills. A separate Deloitte survey, cited in the same article, found that 73% of executives expect talent shortages to continue for the next 3 years and that 84% say a culture of continuous learning improves retention. Employees prefer flexible formats: roughly 70% prefer online or self‑paced courses, 63% appreciate instructor‑led online training, and 63% value in‑person instruction. For employers, listening to workers’ preferences isn’t just altruistic; it affects the bottom line. When nurses, physicians, and technicians feel supported and see a path for advancement, they are more likely to stay.

Upskilling as a strategic advantage and economic driver

Upskilling is more than a human‑resources initiative; it is a strategic lever. Health Data Management notes that as health systems face historic workforce shortages and digital transformation, the ability to train and retain talent has become one of the most critical success factors. The article explains that recruitment alone is not enough; re‑skilling existing staff is just as important. “Learning is a continuous process in healthcare,” says Sam Wambugu of the American College of Health Data Management, who encourages his team to use webinars and online learning. The piece also notes that many workers consider upskilling opportunities when evaluating job offers and that training must be built into the deployment of new technologies.

The economic return on training can be substantial. A 2025 study published in Intensive Care Medicine analyzed the C19_SPACE program, a rapid upskilling initiative for intensive‑care nurses in Europe. By training thousands of nurses at scale, the program increased ICU capacity by roughly 9,281 additional patients per month and generated an estimated €116 million in societal value each month. With a program cost of €20.1 million, the return on investment (ROI) was 478 %, and the break‑even point occurred just 5.1 days after deployment. Even in worst‑case scenarios, the investment paid for itself within a month. The authors conclude that large‑scale upskilling can be an economically sound response to healthcare crises and can rapidly expand care capacity. While this example comes from Europe, the lessons are universal: investing in people yields dividends in both patient care and economic resilience.

There is also a moral and patriotic dimension. When hospitals choose contract labor over investing in staff, they may fill short‑term gaps but often lose institutional knowledge and loyalty. The NSI report notes that every RN hired instead of a contract nurse saves about $79,100. Reducing reliance on travel nurses and investing in full‑time employees not only saves money but also builds community wealth.

Upskilling as a solution for workforce shortages

Upskilling addresses shortages in several ways:

The private sector’s role: a patriotic partnership

Aligning business success with community well‑being

Why should private companies invest in health‑care training? First, every company depends on a healthy workforce. Sick employees drive up insurance costs, decrease productivity, and erode morale. Second, businesses rely on health‑care infrastructure to keep employees and their families safe. It is difficult to operate a factory, run a logistics company, or offer hospitality services when local hospitals are overwhelmed or understaffed. Third, supporting the health workforce is good for business because of the multiplier effect: each dollar spent by hospitals supports $2.30 of economic activity. Investment in training, therefore, has ripple effects across supply chains and consumer spending.

Concrete steps businesses can take

1. Sponsor scholarships and apprenticeships. Offer scholarships for nursing and allied‑health students, fund residency programs, or create paid apprenticeships for medical assistants. Scholarships targeted at students from rural or underserved communities can help address the maldistribution of educational resources.

   
   

2. Partner with schools and training centers. Collaborate with community colleges, universities, and training centers to expand program capacity. Businesses can donate equipment for simulation labs, provide internship placements or sponsor faculty positions to reduce the bottleneck that leaves 80,000 qualified nursing applicants without seats.

   
   

3. Invest in continuous learning for your healthcare staff. Hospitals and clinics run by private companies, including long‑term care facilities and large employers with on‑site clinics, should integrate training into their workflows. The AHA’s retention report emphasises continuous improvement and on‑demand learning platforms. Offering time and money for staff to take courses—whether through online modules, simulation sessions or cross‑departmental rotations—can improve retention and patient outcomes.

   
   

4. Support well‑being and leadership development. Surveys suggest that nurses stay when hospitals improve staffing levels, support breaks, enhance team communication, and enable clinicians to spend more time with patients. Organizations should treat these interventions not as perks but as core operational strategies. Leadership development programs that train clinicians in management skills can also create pathways to advancement and reduce frustration with administration.

   
   

5. Advocate for and invest in policy solutions. Businesses can join coalitions calling for federal and state investment in the health workforce. This includes advocating for loan‑repayment programs, expanded residency slots, and funding for public health positions. Companies might also consider innovative financing, such as social impact bonds, to fund large‑scale upskilling programs akin to the C19_SPACE program, which yielded a 478% ROI.

   
   

Investing in people is patriotic

American patriotism is often expressed through acts of service: volunteering, voting, serving in the military, teaching, mentoring, or working in public safety. Investing in health‑care workers fits within this tradition. It honors the people who spend their nights in emergency rooms, their days caring for chronic illnesses, and their weekends ensuring safe births and dignified hospice care.

The numbers show the stakes: shortages of hundreds of thousands of physicians and millions of nurses, burnout rates near 50 %, billions of dollars lost to turnover, and millions of Americans living in underserved communities. The economy suffers when hospitals can’t hire; communities suffer when clinics close; families suffer when care is delayed. Upskilling and training are proven solutions. They reduce turnover costs, generate high returns on investment, and improve patient outcomes.

Most importantly, investing in people resonates with the nation’s founding ideals: equality of opportunity, the pursuit of happiness, and the commitment to communal well‑being. When businesses partner with health‑care providers and organizations like CWS to train, upskill, and place clinicians, they help heal America—literally and figuratively. It is time to recognize that building a strong health workforce is one of the most patriotic moves a company can make.