Physician Shortages, Funding Challenges, and the Future of Care with Laura Dyrda

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Physician Shortages, Funding Challenges, and the Future of Care with Laura Dyrda

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Host: Scott Becker
Guest: Laura Dyrda (Editorial Leader, Becker's Healthcare)
Date: September 3, 2025
Episode Length: ~12 minutes

Overview

In this episode, Scott Becker sits down with Laura Dyrda to discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system: ongoing physician shortages, the financial constraints impacting health systems, and how these factors are shaping the future of care delivery. Laura shares timely insights, recent data, and real-world examples, focusing on both workforce and funding concerns that are affecting access to care and institutional planning nationwide.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Intensifying Physician Shortages and Real-world Impact

• Shrinking Physician Workforce

  • The U.S. is facing a projected shortage of about 86,000 physicians by 2036 (00:58).
  • Demand continues to outpace supply, especially as the population ages and current physicians retire.
  • “The market for physicians is becoming more intense and competitive as hospitals and medical groups are trying to connect with a shrinking pool of talent.” – Laura Dyrda (01:04)

• Hiring Realities & Regional Disparities

  • Survey insight: Two-thirds of organizations surveyed are actively hiring full-time physicians, mainly in the Northeast, South, and West (01:33).
  • Many roles are open at multiple locations, and about half of healthcare workers say their organizations have multiple physician vacancies.
  • Over the last three years, qualified physician applicants increased at 22% of workplaces but stayed the same at 37%—openings persist despite efforts (01:55).

2. Challenges with Addressing Shortages

• Burnout Cycle & Non-Sustainable Shifts

  • Physician shortages are increasing burnout among those who remain, risking a vicious cycle of departures (06:14).
  • “The shorter that we are, the more that we end up in a spot where those that are still working are overwhelmed, and so it leads to more burnout.” – Scott Becker (06:14)

• Augmenting Staff & Preventive Strategies

  • Health systems are exploring new care models, such as leveraging AI, virtual visits, and task shifting to nurses or other clinicians (03:18).
  • Coordinated care and monitoring reduce unnecessary physician visits, aiming to “make sure they're doing the preventative work that they need to do so that the physicians aren't stressed as thin” (03:36).

• Recruitment Tactics

  • Most successful methods: leveraging existing staff networks and professional association events (04:36).
  • Only about a third of organizations are raising pay to attract talent; fewer are boosting benefits.
  • “There's not really a golden ticket… It's just that hard work and the ability of those physicians to have a network where they can attract their colleagues.” – Laura Dyrda (05:16)

3. Funding and Capital Constraints in Health Systems

• Financial Pressures & Project Delays

  • Federal funding changes prompt big decisions:
    • University of Iowa Healthcare delayed a $2 billion inpatient tower project after projected $9.5 billion in federal funding reductions (06:58).
    • Multiple associated projects (parking, demolition, renovations) are also delayed.
  • “In order to kind of do those things while facing some of these looming federal funding cuts, the leadership team there decided to postpone or delay the building of that facility.” – Laura Dyrda (08:14)

• Health systems are bracing for more such delays nationwide due to uncertain future revenues.

• Tough Choices and Prioritization

  • Iowa prioritizes cancer care (Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI-designated facility), diverting resources from other projects—difficult tradeoffs for community health (09:30).
  • “It's just too bad that there has to be one or the other.” – Laura Dyrda (09:40)
  • System-wide, health institutions are tightening budgets, at times even cutting high-level executive roles (09:13).

4. Broader Themes: Health Equity and Systemic Risks

• Difficulty accessing physicians, especially specialists and primary care, is worsening—risking health equity (06:14).
• “If you have to know somebody to get the right person, that’s a bad, bad thing for health equity.” – Scott Becker (06:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the reality of shortages:
  “I actually think that those shortages are understated. Any sense of that, Laura, or any pushback on those numbers?”
  – Scott Becker, 02:50

• On recruitment challenges:
  “There's not really a golden ticket, or, you know what I mean, an easy fix to bringing in a lot of folks.”
  – Laura Dyrda, 05:16

• On funding cuts:
  “Several projects needed to make the way for that inpatient tower will be delayed... in order to kind of do those things while facing some of these looming federal funding cuts.”
  – Laura Dyrda, 07:48

• On tough institutional choice:
  “It really truly does serve a huge purpose for the community… It's just too bad that there has to be one or the other.”
  – Laura Dyrda, 09:40

• On advancing solutions:
  “Nobody again has a silver bullet. But being able to get all together in the same room and address these issues in a meaningful and candid way I think goes a long way to pushing health care forward.”
  – Laura Dyrda, 10:56

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:58 – U.S. Physician Shortage Statistics; Demand and Hiring Trends
• 02:50 – Scott Becker Questions Shortage Estimates; Equity Concerns
• 03:18–05:15 – How Health Systems are Responding: Technology, Networking, Recruitment Data
• 06:14 – Impact on Burnout, Cycle of Overwork
• 06:58 – University of Iowa Healthcare: Project Delays Due to Funding Cuts
• 09:13–09:40 – Budget Tightening, Impact on Leadership and Project Priorities
• 10:50–11:24 – The Role of Industry Conferences in Solving Challenges

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Conclusion

The episode provides a candid, data-driven look at how physician shortages and federal funding shifts are fracturing the current and future state of U.S. healthcare delivery. Laura Dyrda and Scott Becker emphasize that while there are pockets of innovation and adaptation—through technology, teamwork, and tough prioritization—there is no quick fix. Collaborative conversations and industry-wide efforts, such as upcoming conferences, are vital for addressing these persistent challenges and ensuring continued access to quality care.

Transcript

[A]

Exciting things are happening at Beckers Healthcare Stay ahead of industry trends with the new Beckers CFO plus Revenue Cycle Podcast your go to source for insights from top healthcare finance leaders. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts and don't miss the 10th annual Health IT Digital Health RCM Conference happening September 30 to October 3, 2025 in Chicago. Join thousands of executives, engage with industry leaders and explore the future of healthcare innov. Learn more about our upcoming [e-mail] See you there.

[B]

This is Scott Becker with the Beckers Healthcare Podcast. We're joined today by Laura Dearda. Laura is the leader of the editorial team at Becker's Healthcare and just remarkable, she talks to Us Weekly about what stories she's watching closely. Laura, let me turn it to you. What are a couple of stories that you're watching closely currently in the healthcare system world?

[C]

Absolutely. Well, thank you so much, Scott. And you know, right now I think there's so much to focus on, but a lot of the big challenges that we see, especially in access to care and in thinking about the future of healthcare delivery as well, is looking at physicians and clinicians. So the market for physicians is becoming more intense and competitive as hospitals and medical groups are trying to connect with a shrinking pool of talent. The current projections from the association of American Medical Colleges show that the US faces a shortage of around 86,000 physicians by 2036. So demand is likely to continue to increase for those physicians and specialists, especially as the baby boomer population ages and many physicians and communities are already starting to feel the pinch. Medscape recently conducted and unveiled a survey of more than a thousand physicians conducted earlier this year that focused on where those physician organizations are seeing openings. And two thirds of those surveyed said their organizations were trying to hire full time physicians, many including, you know, somewhere between one and five physicians within their organizations. And the most competitive places within the US Were in the Northeastern states as well as followed closely behind the south and Western states. And so it's just been really interesting to see where there's most need for doctors as well as, you know, what places are hiring. Many of them are hiring for multiple locations as well, and the desirability of open roles for about half of healthcare workers. Over the last three years, the number of qualified physicians applying for those open positions grew at around 22% of the workplaces and stayed the same at around 37%. And so, you know, even though this has been a problem for a long time, it still continues to have a good Number of openings and need for more physicians to come into these organizations.

[B]

Thank you very, very much. I'm surprised that it says that there's a shortage of 86,000 by 2030. 2036. I thought the shortage is much worse than that. It already seems like in so many communities, it's so hard to get access, so hard to get an appointment, so hard to find a specialist. And the discussion on primary care is that that's even a huge amount worse. I actually think that those shortages are understated. Any sense of that, Laura, or any pushback on those numbers?

[C]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. You know, and I think, of course, knowing that survey surveys always have those types of limitations, but I think especially some of the things that in just looking at where openings are at right now as a gauge towards, you know, what could be available in the future, it seems like a lot of organizations and hospitals and health systems in general are seeing the writing on the wall in some ways that, you know, they may need to figure out how to continue delivering care with a shortage of physicians in the long term. And so, you know, when they're looking at spaces where they really need to hire another person, trying to figure out how they can augment their human workforce with AI to become more productive. And also, I've heard a lot, hospitals and health systems about the ways that they can more deliver more coordinated care. And so they're getting patients to the right specialist, even if it isn't the physician that they need, they're able to have, whether it's virtual visits with nurses or the ability to connect with other clinical care leaders that can make sure they're monitoring them appropriately, make sure they're doing the preventative work that they need to do so that the physicians aren't stressed as thin or they're not getting to the point where they would need to see a physician quite as often. And so I think those are all things that hospitals and health systems are taking into account when they're looking at, you know, who they're hiring for today and what they want to bring on in the future. I think it's just been really fascinating that, you know, the survey did also mention that hiring new physicians isn't just a nice to have. Around 40% of the physicians surveyed said the unfilled roles within their organizations were meaning they had to step up and do more work. And so it was impacting their work life balance, for sure. And then, you know, employers also mentioned that some of the tactics they're trying to use to bring in qualified physicians was Most successful was to tap into the networks of physicians and medical staff members, while the second most successful way of bringing in new physicians was actually networking at conferences and associations. You know, in thinking about the pay structure for physicians and clinicians, only 32% said they were increasing compensation to try to bring in additional physicians, and 20% said they were boosting, boosting benefits. And so it seems really clear that, you know, the most successful tactics of trying to fill those spots are through the networking space. And so there's not really a golden ticket, or, you know what I mean, an easy fix to bringing in a lot of folks. It's just that hard work and the ability of those physicians to have a network where they can attract their colleagues to fill in some of those open spaces. But again, you know, taking away from one organization would bring into another. So it really doesn't fix the overall shortage and access to care issues. Issues within the broader healthcare ecosystem.

[B]

No. And even so, what happens is it seems like a vicious cycle because the shorter that we are, the more that we end up in a spot where those that are still working are overwhelmed, and so it leads to more burnout. So at some point, someplace on the federal side, there have to be some solutions to this. I think. I don't know that there's other ways to get there, but we'll see. But really a challenging situation. Thank you, thank you for covering that. I think it's worse than those stats show. I just think the challenge in getting access, getting specialists, getting primary care is getting close to very, very difficult, particularly if you don't know somebody, you have access, which is a bad, bad thing for health equity if you have to know somebody to get the right person. Laura, what else are you watching closely?

[C]

Absolutely. So we're also watching, of course, a variety of ways that hospitals and health systems are starting to change their strategies or tactics in to things, policies in things that are happening on the national and federal level as well as state level changes in funding and regulatory issues. And most recently in the last week, we heard from the University of Iowa Healthcare deciding to delay work on a $2 billion inpatient tower due to federal funding changes that are projected to result in $9.5 billion reduction in healthcare funding to the organ health system. So basically of Iowa Healthcare said that they're working on a tower that will continue on a new timeline and is projected to be part of the health system still 10 year revitalization plan to address those capacity issues. Going back to what we were already talking about in terms of being able to serve patients in a meaningful way. And expanding access would require additional complex and specialty care. And so they were looking to build this inpatient tower to serve the community. But several projects needed to make the way for that inpatient tower will be delayed, including removing a parking ramp, demolition of an existing facility, and renovations on the main hospital entrance and skyway changes. And so in order to kind of do those things while facing some of these looming federal funding cuts, the leadership team there decided to postpone or delay the building of that facility. Especially, as you know, they're facing an uncertain future of where their finances will be. So it's just been interesting to see that news come out others from other hospitals and health systems as they're figuring out what it really means for their organizations, as well as trying to prepare for what could be coming down the pipe over the next couple years, reading the tea leaves in one way, shape or form from legislators at the local and national levels so that they can still provide the right type of care and just have as much resources devoted to those kinds of things. And we may see more delays in the future.

[B]

Thank you very, very much. No, it seems like more and more systems again trying to find margins. I saw another large system that cut their COO position. We always think that's a mistake, but it is indicative of the situation health systems find themselves in, which is quite concerned about the finances going forward.

[C]

Absolutely. It's a tough and challenging situation, I think especially looking at where the projects that University of Iowa Health System is planning to double down on its plans to move forward with the modernization of its medical campus downtown as well as expansion into the cancer research space, giving the priority to its Holden Comprehensive Cancer center as a pivotal role. As NCI designated comprehensive cancer center in Iowa. It really truly does serve a huge purpose for the community. So being able to divert resources there and achieve a higher cancer survival rates in the state is certainly admirable. It's just too bad that there has to be one or the other.

[B]

No, but is what it is, choices are going to get harder and harder going forward. All right, thank you. Not an incredibly uplifting day today, but physician shortages, capital shortages, money shortages. Other than that, things seem to be going well. No? Laura, in all seriousness, thank you so much for joining us and we're looking forward to two big events coming up. The Health IT Digital Health and RCM Conference on September 30th and then the CEO CFO Roundtable where we've got Rain Gretzky, Wayne Gretzky, Jack Nicklaus and Caitlin Clark. Speaking starts November 3rd. Both those are in Chicago. Laura, thank you so much for joining us on the Beckers Healthcare podcast. Thank you very, very much.

[C]

Thank you, Scott. Absolutely looking forward to those events as well. It'll just be an amazing opportunity to bring together executives and leaders from across the country of many different types of organizations to really come together and try to troubleshoot some of these issues as well as talk through what their plans are for the future because it's, you know, nobody again has a silver bullet. But being able to get all together in the same room and address these issues in a meaningful and candid way I think goes a long way to pushing health care forward and making sure there continues to be access to care in the future.

[B]

Thank you so much. We could not agree more. Thank you, Laura, for joining us as always in your words of wisdom. Thank you.

[C]

Thanks, Scott.