Michigan Health Council

10/16/2026

What does it take to turn an interest in helping others into a career?

Our Career Navigator Guides help high school students explore pathways in Psychology, Social Work, and Counseling. Each guide offers questions to consider, educational information, and practical steps students can take as they plan their future.

Explore the guides at mhc.org/career-guides.

10/15/2026

How are employer partnerships strengthening Michigan’s healthcare workforce?

At the 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Summit, employer panelists will share how participation in Employer-Led Collaboratives has helped their organizations develop talent, strengthen partnerships, and respond to workforce challenges.

Read more about the session below.

Helping young people discover healthcare careers takes collaboration among employers, schools, and workforce partners. At the 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next, the session “Inspiring Tomorrow’s Healthcare Professionals: Career Awareness for Michigan” will explo...

10/14/2026

For the second year in a row, Dentists rank #1 overall in the Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index. The Dentist Group has the highest wage growth over the last decade among the occupations studied, and ranks third in both turnover and shortage.

Sustaining a healthy workforce requires continued support. Delta Dental Foundation's loan repayment program is one example of how organizations can provide that support by helping alleviate financial barriers to healthcare education.

Learn more about Michigan’s healthcare workforce and ways to strengthen it at mhc.org/index.

10/09/2026

The 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index points to several key areas to strengthen the healthcare workforce: reducing financial barriers to healthcare education through tuition assistance and loan repayment, creating paths for advancement through apprenticeships and bridge programs, and improving retention through professional development opportunities.

By using workforce data to guide these efforts, employers, educators, and policymakers can help build a healthcare workforce prepared to meet Michigan’s current and future needs. Learn more at mhc.org/index

10/07/2026

New patients in Detroit have faced waits of up to 58 days for a Family Medicine Physician appointment.

For someone managing a chronic condition or helping a parent navigate care, that wait can affect their health, independence, and daily life. Healthcare workforce shortages affect all of us, as patients, family members, and caregivers.

Our latest article follows Rosalind, a fictional 80-year-old whose experiences reflect the real challenges Michigan families face. Her story illustrates how delays across appointments, prescriptions, and in-home support can compound, leaving families to fill the gaps.

Read more about what workforce shortages mean for the people we love and the care we may one day need ourselves below.

This article is part two of a series on the consequences and impact on healthcare as baby boomers turn 80. Click here to learn more about the series. • As Michigan’s population ages, more people will need access to medical, emergency, pharmacy, and long-term care, as well as care coordination ac...

10/07/2026

Additional spots are available through Mi-ELSiS!

Michigan Earn, Learn, and Serve in Schools (Mi-ELSiS) offers graduate students pursuing school social work, school psychology, or school counseling a stipend while they gain hands-on experience in high-need Michigan schools.

Mi-ELSiS is available to students in Wayne State University’s school social work program, the University of Michigan’s school social work program, Michigan State University’s school psychology program, and Central Michigan University’s school counseling program.

Participants must complete their training at a site within Jackson County ISD, Gratiot-Isabella RESD, Wayne RESA, or Kearsley Community Schools and commit to working in their field at a high-need Michigan school for at least one year after completing their training.

Interested in participating? Contact your university coordinator to start the application process.

10/06/2026

Today, MHC’s Director of Data and Research, Karalyn Kiessling, presented “Regional Market Data: Current Provider Compensation and Recruitment Opportunities” at the Michigan Primary Care Association Fall Conference, sharing findings from MHC Insight’s recent Compensation and Benefits Analysis.

Her presentation explored changing compensation trends, the factors driving wage variation, advertised benefits, and the implications of these findings for the healthcare workforce. Together, these insights can help organizations make informed decisions about how to attract and support the providers their communities need.

Thank you to MPCA for the opportunity to share this work and connect with partners working to strengthen Michigan’s healthcare workforce!

10/06/2026

This , we recognize Physician Assistants for the care they provide to patients across Michigan. PAs diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and work in specialties from family medicine to emergency care.

Learn more about the profession, including the PA career pathway and its fifth-place overall ranking in our 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index at mhc.org/pas

10/05/2026

As Michigan’s population ages, demand for healthcare services is growing. What does that mean for a workforce already facing shortages?

At the 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Summit, Dr. Karalyn Kiessling and Aleysha Czartoszewski will explore projected workforce shortages, potential impacts on patient care, and strategies to strengthen recruitment, retention, and workforce capacity.

Read more about their session below.

As Michigan’s population ages, growing demand for healthcare services is placing additional pressure on an already strained workforce. At the 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next, the session “Meeting the Moment: Addressing Workforce Shortages in an Aging Michigan”...

10/02/2026

This National Physical Therapy Month, we recognize Physical Therapists for helping people recover from injuries, improve mobility, and maintain independence.

As Michigan’s population ages, the need for rehabilitation services continues to grow, and Physical Therapists will continue to play an important role in meeting that need.

Learn more about Physical Therapists at mhc.org/physical-therapists.