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Advanced practice providers (APPs) have become increasingly important in healthcare’s overall workforce strategy, especially in urgent care. A small national survey of 327 healthcare facility leaders by CHG Healthcare found that 92% of respondents considered APPs very or extremely important to their workforce strategy, and 96% expected to maintain or increase APP utilization in 2026. The overall findings suggest that APPs are being used not simply to fill vacancies but as part of longer-term strategies to expand capacity and improve care delivery, according to the authors. Nationally, 18% of respondents identified emergency department (ED) and/or urgent care nurse practitioner (NP) or physician assistant (PA) positions as their most difficult APP roles to fill. The problem was greater in urban markets, where 26% cited ED/urgent care NP/PA positions as the hardest to staff, compared with 9% of suburban and 8% of rural facilities. The authors attribute the urban shortage partly to competition among health systems, urgent care networks, freestanding EDs, and retail clinics for the same experienced clinicians.
Positive impact: Among facilities evaluating APP impact, 92% reported they have a positive effect on patient volume and throughput, and 85% on quality of care. Additionally, 80% reported that APPs helped alleviate staff burnout. Find your next APP job candidate by posting your open positions on UC Compass.
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