In the News

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Newsday

…Home health aides are state-certified health care professionals who play a central role in New York’s health care system as they provide care for people with disabilities and older adults like John Small who opt to remain in their homes rather than entering nursing care or assisted living facilities.

The Smalls have lived in their East Meadow home for nearly 20 years, a key reason they chose to pay for home aides.

“It is better for patients to be in their surroundings,” Patricia Small said.

As Long Island’s population ages, demand for home health aides is surging — with the workforce projected to grow nearly 40% statewide by 2030, according to the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany. But the industry is already struggling to keep up, constrained by low wages, limited public transportation and tightening immigration policies that experts say could leave thousands of seniors without the help they need to safely age at home.

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The St. Louis American

Furaha Moyé owes her smile to Harlem United.

The community health center, based in Upper Manhattan, has served as a steady source of affordable, quality dental care for the 76-year-old Harlem resident for more than a decade.

…Frustrated by how expensive dental care is, Moyé is equally grateful to Harlem United for its commitment to serving patients regardless of their ability to pay. Too often, the financial stresses that come with accessing dental services can stand in the way of overall good health, she said.

…Finding a dental provider who accepts Medicaid can be a challenge. In New York State, the program reimburses participating dentists at about a third or less of average dental charges, according to 2024 data released by the American Dental Association. Only one-third of New York dentists accept Medicaid, according to a report by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at The State University of New York at Albany.

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New York Amsterdam News

…For many, Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income individuals and people with disabilities, can serve as a lifeline for accessing affordable dental care. Jointly funded by the federal government and state governments, Medicaid provides comprehensive dental care to children under the age of 21; coverage for adults varies by state. Only 11 states (not including New York) and Washington, D.C., provide extensive dental coverage for adults, according to data published by the CareQuest Institute.

Barriers to Medicaid acceptance

Finding a dental provider who accepts Medicaid can be a challenge. In New York State, the program reimburses participating dentists at about a third or less of average dental charges, according to 2024 data released by the American Dental Association. Only one-third of New York dentists accept Medicaid, according to a report by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at The State University of New York at Albany.

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Medical Xpress

The production of new nurses to help address national nursing shortages starts with the educational pipeline. However, substantial and persistent salary disparities exist between nursing faculty and nurses working in clinical and non-academic roles across the U.S., according to a new study published in Nurse Educator by Center for Health Workforce Studies researchers at the University at Albany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences. The study utilized data from the 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses.

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North Country Now

CANTON — Northern Area Health Education Center (NAHEC) has been awarded a $5 million, five-year grant through the Healthcare Education and Life-skills Program (HELP), funded by the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Healthcare Workforce Innovation.

Launching January 1, 2026, the program will address the region’s critical healthcare workforce shortages by providing mentorship, training, wraparound support, and life-skills education for students and trainees pursuing healthcare careers…

…The Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) will support evaluation and continuous improvement by analyzing workforce outcomes and participant data to guide ongoing refinement.

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Times Union

With health care cuts an ongoing concern for people across the U.S., here’s what should concern New Yorkers the most: the health care workforce shortage, with unfilled positions straining services across the state.

According to the Healthcare Association of New York State, last year 97% of New York hospitals reported a shortage of nurses, and 88% reported a need for non-nursing healthcare personnel. A report from the Center for Health Workforce Studies confirmed that these shortages span all health care settings, with a particular concentration among registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and entry-level aides.

And while much of the focus has been on nursing — affected by thousands of vacancies — there are other roles that are just as crucial to improving treatment outcomes…

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Times Union

ALBANY — Cohoes resident Heather Jordan lives in a house with holes in every wall, a dented stainless-steel refrigerator and doors that have at one time or another been ripped off their hinges. Her 19-year-old son, Terry, is responsible for the damage.

Terry, who is nonverbal and diagnosed with the most severe form of autism, experiences episodes when he becomes very aggressive, often ramming his head into people like Jordan, walls and even lockers at school…

…According to a 2024 report by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the U.S. is “experiencing a mental health crisis with increased levels of unmet behavioral health needs among people of all ages.” Adult and adolescent psychiatrists are among the specialties in the strongest demand across the state, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Health Workforce Studies in 2024.

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Politico

In a letter this week to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the association argued the policy could exacerbate the country’s health care workforce shortage by making it more expensive for hospitals to train medical residents and hire physicians who commit to working in underserved areas as a condition of their visa.

“The need for additional physicians is critical and there are not enough US citizen doctors to fill the need,” GNYHA President Kenneth Raske wrote in the letter…

…And New York is a major contributor to the country’s physician workforce: Almost half of medical residents who train in the state end up practicing elsewhere in the U.S., according to the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies.

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Dentistry Today

The gag reflex is a natural and necessary defense mechanism. But in the dental office, it often becomes a barrier, not just to patient care, but to staff well-being, efficient scheduling, and overall practice performance. What might seem like a minor issue can be actually far more disruptive than many oral hygiene practitioners may realize…

…In my own conversations with dentists and practice managers, they often point straight to margin loss and profitability issues when it comes to scheduling delays and staff burnout. When a patient gags repeatedly during an x-ray or impression, the appointment may need to be rescheduled or extended significantly. That extra time cuts into a provider’s schedule and, in many cases, results in lost revenue.

And the impact isn’t just financial. A 2023 study from the University of Albany reported that nearly 80% of oral health providers reported some level of burnout.3 For dental teams already stretched thin, consistent disruptions from gag reflex issues only make things more complicated.

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Greater Long Island

Suffolk County Community College just landed the biggest grant in its history — nearly $1 million a year for five years — to send more nurses and healthcare workers into the field for Long Island’s strained medical workforce.

The $4.98 million award comes from the New York State Department of Health’s Healthcare Education and Life-Skills Program (HELP) and will kick in January 2026.

The funds will help cover tuition for students in Suffolk’s registered nursing, practical nursing, clinical medical assistant and certified nursing assistant programs. Tuition support for students is expected to roll out beginning in fall 2026…

…A report last year from the Center for Health Workforce Studies found that workforce shortages are the leading cause of recruitment difficulties in hospitals, with non-competitive salaries also a major barrier.