Hospitals Need a Million Medics, Find Less Than Half; Humans > AI, Still Hiring
KEY POINTS
- •Hospitals nationwide face critical shortages, with 702,000 open jobs but only 306,000 available health workers as of February 2026.
- •85% of rural hospital executives struggle with local hiring, impacting preventive care and inpatient services across US small towns.
- •Despite increased medical and nursing school enrollments, rural staffing and hospital closures continue, pressuring emergency and specialized care access.
Meet US healthcare's awkward Tinder scene: 702,000 open medical jobs each month but only 306,000 willing singles—or workers. Covista's CEO Steve Beard warns of a 'dramatic shortage' of nurses and physicians, especially in rural settings where 85% of execs complain about catching enough local talent. Meanwhile, less populated areas see hospitals ghosting inpatient care like it's last year's fashion, closing hundreds since 2010 with nearly 800 more at risk. AI can’t patch broken ERs either—apparently, robot nurses haven’t perfected bedside manner or coffee breaks. Hope flickers as medical school enrollments spike, but brain-drain still prowls small towns, where training locals may be the last CPR for the workforce.
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US hospitals are hiring like mad but workers are rarer than a good Wi-Fi signal in rural America. AI can’t replace people, but apparently, neither can people replace people.
702,000 healthcare job openings, 306,000 workers. Feels like Tinder for nurses with a brutal swipe left economy.
Rural hospitals are closing faster than your patience at the DMV, but hey, AI can’t save lives—or even show up on time.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 2/11/2026 | Author: Allie Kelly
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