Covista, America's largest healthcare educator, released the Covista Healthcare Workforce Index on September 28, 2026, projecting that the U.S. healthcare workforce shortage will nearly double by 2040 without action. The Index, built on a model by Oliver Wyman drawing on more than 60 data sets, estimates that pairing workforce investment with care delivery innovation could close 92% of the projected 2040 gap, with supply actions alone closing over half. Closing the nursing shortage alone could save nearly 100,000 lives cumulatively by 2040, while closing the physician gap could add more than six months to average life expectancy and cut specialist wait times by 20%. Unfilled healthcare positions already cost the average U.S. family about $430 a year, a figure the model projects could nearly triple to $1,250 by 2040, with rural and underserved communities bearing the heaviest burden. The Index estimates AI could close up to 37% of the 2040 gap but offset much of that gain by an estimated 18% through newly surfaced unmet need, while GLP-1s and CAR-T cell therapy could shrink the gap by a further 21% and care model redesign by another 13%.
Covista Inc.Covista's own Healthcare Workforce Index projects a near-doubling U.S. healthcare workforce shortage by 2040, highlighting the need for the education/training services Covista provides.
Oliver Wyman is only credited as the builder of the model behind Covista's Index, with no direct business impact described.
