Webinar: ACU PCA Workforce Networking Call

America's community health centers, which serve over 30 million patients in medically underserved areas, are grappling with severe and persistent workforce shortages that directly limit access to primary care. These shortages, exacerbated by the COVID-19 aftermath, include high turnover rates—often 5-25% in short periods—and difficulties recruiting nurses, physicians, behavioral health staff, and administrative roles, driven by burnout, competition from other employers, and economic pressures.

Primary Care Associations (PCAs), state and regional entities that support federally qualified health centers, are central to addressing these issues at scale. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) facilitates bimonthly networking calls for PCA workforce leaders to exchange strategies on retention, recruitment, and development.

The timing is critical in early 2026. Healthcare workforce challenges remain top priorities, with 2025-2026 reports highlighting vacancies, burnout, and administrative strain. HRSA projections warn of growing shortages—particularly in non-metro areas—potentially leaving 83 million+ in shortage areas underserved without thousands more clinicians. Recent policy uncertainties, including threats to programs like the National Health Service Corps and Medicaid, compound the strain.

The real-world stakes are high: patients in low-income, rural, and minority communities face longer waits, reduced preventive care, and worse outcomes when health centers cannot maintain staffing. Stable workforces are essential to sustain access and advance health equity amid rising demand from an aging population and value-based care shifts.