All of this will invariably lead to further defections, as more doctors, nurses, and other workers continue to abandon health care and seek professions and workplaces that are safer and less abusive. This migration includes bright young minds who are increasingly turning away from health care for more attractive, less debt-ridden, and safer careers.¹⁰

The result of these evolving conditions will be a vicious cycle of continued worker exits, leading to even greater lack of patient access, accelerated resource, and staffing limitations, further system and facility operational issues and closures resulting in continued worsening system conditions and further exits. And so forth.

The cycle will continue unless major health care stakeholders, currently seemingly more focused on squeezing profits from the system, start to work collaboratively on improving patient access and outcomes, and health care worker conditions versus oppositionally competing with each other for greater market share and a bigger piece of the health care pie. There are pathways to reset and repair the system, if stakeholders work together.^11,12 To fail to collaborate and begin working together to improve the U.S. health care system will rapidly lead to an overall system failure.⁶

Dr. Severance is a long-time member of ACEP, a health care strategist and researcher, consultant/advisor to several organizations and agencies on health care delivery, preparedness, and workplace/workforce clinical and economics issues. The opinions expressed are his alone, and do not necessarily represent opinions or stances of his employers or affiliates. 

References

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9. Yang J. What’s behind an alarming rise in violent incidents in health care facilities. PBS News Weekend. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/whats-behind-an-alarming-rise-in-violent-incidents-in-health-care-facilities. Published September 17, 2023. Accessed June 6, 2025.
10. Advisory Board. Daily Briefing. 25% of US medical students are thinking of quitting. Why? https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2023/11/09/medical-students. Published November 9, 2023. Accessed June 6, 2025.
11. Health Care Reform: Duties & Responsibilities of Stakeholders. Saint Joseph’s University. Institute of Clinical Bioethics. https://www.sju.edu/centers/icb/blog/health-care-reform-duties-and-responsibilities-of-the-stakeholders. Accessed June 6, 2025.
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