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We’ve just launched our brand-new report on NY’s nursing shortage, exposing the major factors contributing to the shortage and the best strategies to address them.

Many hospitals across New York State face chronic difficulties in recruiting and retaining a strong nursing workforce. These difficulties, pre-dating but exacerbated by the pandemic, undermine hospitals’ ability to provide high quality care. To better understand what’s driving the shortage and what can be done to address it, the Foundation partnered with the Center for Health Workforce Studies, an academic research center at the State University of New York (SUNY) University at Albany’s School of Public Health, whose mission is to provide timely, accurate information and policy-relevant research about the health workforce.

Through interviews and focus groups representing more than 50 hospitals – that is,  over a quarter of New York State’s 200+ hospitals – the report outlines the most pressing challenges to recruitment and retention along with promising solutions to strengthen the nursing workforce and ultimately, patient care. While no single strategy emerged as a silver bullet remedy to the nursing shortage, the findings of the study will guide the Foundation’s future investments to strengthen the nursing workforce in hospitals that serve high-need populations. We hope that the study and will also provide guidance for hospitals as they bolster their nursing workforces.

Read a summary of findings below, or read the full report here:

In this Op-ed, in City & State our CEO, Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, reflects on the role of philanthropy to bolster New York’s nursing workforce and the direct connection between a healthy workforce and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s commitment to greater health equity in our communities.

On June 12th, 2024, The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and City & State hosted an event for an important discussion about the healthcare workforce – specifically recruitment and retention challenges for the many nurses across New York State.

The event, “Healthier Communities, Healthier People”, opened with a keynote address from SUNY Vice Chancellor Valerie Grey, followed by an in-depth look into the robust report, featured above, from Jean Moore of SUNY Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies. In the following two panels, we looked into the experiences of nurses across New York State along with real solutions to help remediate the problems, as well as the cross-sector responses from public, private, and philanthropic institutions on these workforce challenges.

To all of our panelists and partners, thank you. This work is only possible with your expertise, passion, and dedication to healthcare.

Special thanks to City & State, SUNY Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies, and the Museum of the City of New York for their tremendous efforts in putting together this inspiring and insightful event with us.