Rochester Regional Health aims to recruit up to 100 international nurses to the area.

Healthforce's weekly briefing for June 10, 2025. Get smarter on the latest news & trends in the healthcare workforce.

🖐️ THIS WEEK’S TOP 5

1. Rochester Reg’l Health aims to recruit up to 100 int’l nurses to the area.

2. Glendale College combats AZ nurse gap with 99% NCLEX pass rate.

3. GOP bill may cap med student loans, worsening doctor shortage.

4. Utah ranks worst in U.S. for nurse shortage, study warns of exodus.

5. Meriter Hospital nurses end strike with 10% raise, staffing input gains

If you found today’s newsletter insightful, then we’d love to hear from you! Please drop us a line at edenn@globalmedteam or kanza@globalmedteam. See you next week!

💪 IMPACT STORY OF THE WEEK

Global MedTeam, recently featured in Becker’s Hospital Review in a major milestone, is reshaping international nurse recruitment with a cost-effective, no-risk, direct-hire model. The article highlights how Global MedTeam sources clinically trained nurses from the Philippines, offers full support through immigration and onboarding, and provides a scalable, ethical solution to help hospitals address America’s looming shortage of over 1 million nurses by 2030. (Becker’s)

⚖️ POLICY SPOTLIGHT

1. A new budget bill could end the Grad PLUS loan program and cap borrowing at $150K, making it harder for medical students to finance their education. Experts warn this may worsen the projected shortage of physicians, especially in primary care and underserved communities. (Healthgrades)

2. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 972 to address severe health workforce shortages, including 115 new residency slots and $8M in rural loan forgiveness funding. The new law also boosts OB-GYN access and workplace protections for health staff. (The Gazette)

3. Our Borders Act (H.R. 1201) would expand the Conrad 30 Waiver Program to help address the current physician shortfall. It boosts waiver slots, allows states to share unused waivers, and creates a clearer path to green cards for IMGs serving in shortage areas. (JDSupra)

4. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro proposed a $5 million Nurse Shortage Assistance Program to cover tuition for nursing students who commit to working in Pennsylvania hospitals for three years. Pennsylvania faces a 14% average RN vacancy rate, worse in rural areas, prompting tax credits for clinical preceptors and increased hospital training and incentives. (MSN)

5. Alabama’s new law, HB 346, removes the 100-hour service requirement for physicians volunteering at free clinics to help ease the state’s doctor shortage. Sponsored by State Rep. Paul Lee, the change aims to support rural healthcare by reducing barriers for doctors willing to volunteer. (Walb News 10)

6. The DOCTORS Act and similar bills urge Congress to ease visa restrictions and expand training pathways to address a shortage of doctors. Aging physicians and visa delays blocking thousands of international medical graduates have worsened the crisis, threatening healthcare access nationwide. (STAT)

🎓 BACK TO SCHOOL

1. Glendale Community College is addressing Arizona’s nursing shortage with affordable, hands-on nursing programs and a 99% NCLEX pass rate in 2024. GCC partners with major medical centers and offers fast-track and career advancement pathways to prepare skilled nurses. (Phoenix Business Journal)

2. The Chicago School’s Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine will open in fall 2026. Starting with 85 students, it aims to grow diversity and integrate mental health into training, backed by pre-accreditation from COCA. (Chicago Sun Times)

3. Archbold, with a $100,000 grant from the Archbold Foundation and Southern Regional Technical College, is launching a fully funded paid CNA training to address rural South Georgia staffing shortages. Applications are open until June 9, with classes starting August 19, offering $13/hour training pay and $16.05/hour CNA jobs. (WTXL)

📊 BY THE NUMBERS

1. Utah has the worst nurse shortage in the U.S., with only 1,340 nurses per 100,000 people—well below the national average of 2,057, per a study using NCSBN data. (MSN)

2. 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022, and nearly 40% may exit by 2029 due to stress and burnout, per the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (Cincinnati)

3. About 25% of U.S. doctors were trained abroad, but a current administration pause on new visa appointments risks delaying over 300 foreign-born medical graduates from starting residencies critical for licensing. (Forbes)

🏥 HOSPITAL WATCH

1. Rochester Regional Health and the Greater ROC Global program aim to recruit 60–100 international nurses to address staffing shortages and reduce reliance on agency contracts. (13 Wham)

Rochester Regional Health

1. Mercy Health and Lorain County Community College now offer prepaid tuition for employees, removing upfront costs to boost healthcare staffing. The program covers roles beyond nursing and is open to part-time and per diem workers from day one of employment. (News 5 Cleveland)

2. Unity Point-Meriter nurses, represented by SEIU Wisconsin, are on strike over staffing and contract issues, with negotiations ongoing under a mediator. (15 WMTV)

3. Nurses at Meriter Hospital in Madison ended a historic five-day strike after ratifying a new two-year contract with a 10% wage increase and first-time language giving nurses input on staffing concerns, said SEIU Wisconsin President Pat Raes. The contract includes safety measures and annual staffing discussions, marking progress amid ongoing efforts for mandated nurse-patient ratios. (Wisconsin Examiner)

4. Southern Ocean Medical Center nurses, members of HPAE Local 5138, issued a 10-day strike notice for June 9 over staffing shortages that threaten patient care, citing unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios. (The Sand Paper)

⚕LET’S TALK

Global MedTeam offers one of the most impactful ways to address the healthcare workforce shortage, through connecting international nurses to leading healthcare systems in the US.

If you’re interested in being a part of the solution, get in touch.