FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2026
CONTACT: [email protected]
With the aging baby boomer generation, the demand on healthcare and hospital services is ever-increasing in the Sunshine State.
Tallahassee, Fla. – A recently released Florida Hospital Association report documents significant strides hospitals have made to dramatically decrease vacancy and turnover rates among nurses and allied health professionals. Through numerous initiatives and investments, Florida’s hospitals have added 64,900 jobs since 2020.
Since 2022, registered nurse vacancy rates have decreased by 52% and turnover rates are down by 47%,demonstratingthe impact of targeted recruitment and retention strategies. Allied health professions have experienced similar gains during the same timeframe, with vacancy rates dropping to 21% and turnover rates being cut nearly in half, though critical gaps remain.
The Florida Hospital Association’s report follows Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement of Florida’s $485 million investment in nursing education programs, underscoring the Sunshine State’s commitment to strengthening our health care workforce. Since the LINE program’s introduction in 2022, 157 Florida hospitals have participated with matching funds to support nursing education.
These gains come as Florida’s population grows and retirees relocate to our state, driving increased demand for health care services across the state. Florida is currently home to more than 4.5 million residents aged 65 and older. By 2036, projections estimate this demographic will reach 6.7 million, accounting for 26% of the state’s population. Meeting this growing demand requires a strong, resilient health care workforce, even as many health care workers themselves approach retirement.
Florida’s hospitals, working alongside the Florida Legislature and education institutions, are actively investing in workforce development pipelines, enhancing recruitment and retention efforts, and innovative training models to meet the health care needs of Floridians today and tomorrow.
“Florida’s hospitals have made remarkable progress in strengthening our workforce, but more work lies ahead as the demand for health care grows and evolves,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO of FHA. “Sustaining this momentum through expanding training pathways, strengthening hiring efforts and retaining the existing workforce is critical to caring for Florida’s rapidly growing population.”
FHA’s 2021 Florida Nurse Workforce Projections study estimated that Florida would face a shortage of 59,100 nurses by 2035 without any action to address the gap. To begin addressing this critical need for nurses, the Florida Legislature invested more than $500 million through the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) and Performance Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) between 2022 and 2026 to strengthen the nursing workforce and proactively address the growing demand for care.
Florida’s hospitals are partnering with high schools to support healthcare certificate programs, developing innovative Earn While You Learn programs with local community colleges, supporting nurse educators with local nursing schools to expand classroom capacity, and revamping mentorship and training programs to respond to the needs of their health care workforce.
“The gains we see in Florida’s health care workforce demonstrate what can be achieved through leadership, innovation and strong partnerships between our state’s hospitals, leaders and educational institutions,” said Mayhew.
Hospitals are among the largest employers in their service areas, driving local economies, supporting ancillary jobs, and generating local spending. Notably, hospitals have continued to add key patient care positions even as other economic sectors have scaled back staff.
The report provides a comprehensive look at Florida’s health care workforce, drawing on a full year of vacancy, turnover and tenure data across 132 hospitals, which equates to nearly half of all hospital beds in the state. FHA and its member hospitals will utilize this data to champion policies and investments where they are needed the most.
While gaps for high-demand clinical positions remain, the data shows that Florida is gaining meaningful momentum toward closing crucial workforce gaps to meet today’s demands while building a stronger, more resilient workforce for tomorrow.
Prioritizing early-career retention, hard-to-fill specialties, and sustainable education and training pipelines will ensure hospitals have the skilled workforce needed to meet Floridians’ growing demand for accessible, timely and high-quality care.
View the full version of FHA’s 2025 Annual Workforce Report.
###
ABOUT FHA
Founded in 1927, the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) is the leading voice for health care in the State of Florida. Through representation and advocacy, education and informational services, the Florida Hospital Association supports the mission of over 260 hospitals and health care systems to provide the highest quality of care to the patients we serve. Led by President and CEO Mary Mayhew, the Florida Hospital Association is located in Tallahassee and is governed by a Board of Trustees and officers elected by the member institutions. To learn more, visit www.fha.org.