Healthcare Workforce Challenges Addressed by Sauk Prairie Healthcare
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WHA 2026 Health Care Workforce Report finds Wisconsin’s health care workforce is growing, but not fast enough to meet rising demand
The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) recently released its 2026 Workforce Report, revealing that while some progress has been made in stabilizing workforce shortages, vacancy rates remain high across the state’s hospitals, including Sauk Prairie Healthcare.
According to the report, Wisconsin’s health care workforce is growing but struggling to keep pace with surging demand driven by Wisconsin’s aging population and a shrinking labor pool. While hospital employment in the state has increased 23 percent over the last decade, and vacancy rates have improved from a pandemic peak of 10 percent in 2022 to 7.2 percent in 2024, these gains still leave Wisconsin hospitals with vacancy rates more than double pre-pandemic levels, and demographic trends suggest the pressure will only intensify.
“WHA has reported that health care demand is projected to rise 10% by 2040,” said Anthony Dix, Chief People & Culture Officer at Sauk Prairie Healthcare, and also a member of the WHA Workforce Council. “It is imperative that we encourage pursuit of health care careers by our community’s students, as well as nurture development and career satisfaction with our existing health care workforce.”
Proactively addressing these workforce challenges, Sauk Prairie Healthcare has created a variety of career development initiatives. Notable programs include:
- An internal program for nurses aimed at developing professional growth, clinical excellence, and leadership. In 2025, 98 eligible nurses completed the program, and Sauk Prairie Healthcare hopes to increase participation. The program has proven so successful that a similar program has been created for surgical technicians.
- A Medical Careers Partnership between Sauk Prairie Healthcare and the Sauk Prairie School District. Over the next five years, Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Sauk Prairie Healthcare Foundation will provide funds to purchase equipment for the school district’s medical careers lab. The funds also include certification costs for students, as well as internships and apprenticeships at Sauk Prairie Healthcare.
“As our local communities face growing healthcare needs, we recognize how vital it is to strengthen the pipeline of family medicine physicians,” said Shawn Lerch, Sauk Prairie Healthcare CEO. “Alongside the important work already underway at Sauk Prairie Healthcare, we are laying the groundwork to become a Family Medicine Residency site. This investment not only supports the next generation of family medicine physicians, but also positions our health system to remain strong, sustainable, and ready to meet the evolving needs of the people we serve.”
As Wisconsin hospitals work to grow the workforce, Sauk Prairie Healthcare joins WHA in calling for action from policymakers, educators, employers, and health care professionals to:
Break down barriers to entering and remaining in the health care workforce, including legal, regulatory and payer barriers, and mitigate internal and external factors that hinder workplace culture and workforce well-being.
Create, expand and support accessible and achievable educational and occupational pathways.
Identify practice, policy and payment reforms that allow health care professionals and teams to reach their full potential, encourage innovative use of teams and technology and support the continuum of care.
“Wisconsin hospitals are making progress, but workforce pressures remain one of the greatest threats to timely access to care,” said Kyle O’Brien, WHA president and CEO. “Smart policy solutions that reduce red tape, strengthen training pathways, and expand post-acute care capacity will help ensure our workforce can grow, remain in health care and focus on patients—not paperwork.”