This article is based off a podcast by The Future of Work Exchange.
Healthcare executives are navigating one of the most complex workforce environments the industry has ever faced. Persistent clinician shortages, rising patient acuity, regulatory pressure, and cost visibility at the board level have fundamentally changed how workforce decisions are made. What was once an operational concern has become a core enterprise priority.
That reality is at the center of a recent conversation on The Future of Work Exchange Podcast, where Kelly Rakowski, CEO of Trio Workforce Solutions, joined Ardent Partners to discuss how healthcare organizations are adapting, and where workforce strategy is headed next.
Hosted by The Future of Work Exchange, the episode offers a timely and practical perspective for health system leaders who are reassessing how flexibility, technology, and long-term workforce planning intersect.
One of the most important shifts highlighted in the conversation is the redefinition of contingent labor in healthcare. Extended workforce models, once treated as temporary fixes, are now embedded in long-term operating strategies.
Health systems today are no longer asking if they will rely on flexible labor, but how to do so responsibly, sustainably, and with full organizational alignment. Internal float pools, local flexible resources, and contingent clinicians must work together without creating fragmentation or administrative burden. Achieving that balance requires both structural change and better intelligence.
Another theme resonating with healthcare executives is the evolution of workforce technology itself. Vendor Management Systems (VMS) are no longer viewed as transactional tools focused solely on agency labor. Instead, they are emerging as strategic hubs, central platforms that provide visibility across workforce channels, support compliance and credentialing, and enable data-driven decision-making.
As Rakowski emphasizes in the discussion, technology must support the entire workforce ecosystem. When systems are designed specifically for healthcare’s regulatory and clinical complexity, leaders gain the clarity needed to forecast demand, evaluate labor mix, and align staffing decisions with patient care priorities.
Artificial intelligence is often discussed in abstract terms, but healthcare leaders are increasingly focused on pragmatic applications. The podcast conversation explores how AI can enhance workforce management today, improving matching precision, identifying inefficiencies, and reducing manual effort, without replacing the human judgment that clinical environments require.
For executives, the takeaway is clear: AI is not about automation for its own sake. It is about enabling smarter, faster decisions while preserving the human elements that define quality care.
Workforce challenges consistently rank among the top concerns for healthcare CEOs and boards. Financial pressure, clinician burnout, and patient access issues are deeply interconnected, and workforce strategy sits at the center of all three.
This episode of The Future of Work Exchange Podcast provides healthcare leaders with a grounded, experience-based perspective on how the industry is responding, and how forward-looking organizations are building resilience through smarter workforce models and purpose-built technology.
Healthcare executives looking to better understand the future of workforce strategy, and how technology and flexibility can be aligned without compromising care, will find valuable insight in this discussion.
Listen to the full episode featuring Kelly Rakowski on The Future of Work Exchange Podcast, produced by Ardent Partners, and explore the accompanying thought leadership articles published by The Future of Work Exchange.