If you’re in healthcare leadership, you already know this truth: being understaffed in healthcare doesn’t just inconvenience patients—it can threaten everything from your budget to your brand.
At The AGA Group™, we hear the same concerns over and over again from clinics, hospitals, and dental practices across Kansas and Missouri. Leaders feel like they’re constantly plugging holes in a sinking ship. Staff are overworked. Turnover is high. Costs are climbing. And patient care? It’s starting to show cracks.
So, what’s the real price of falling behind on hiring? And more importantly, what can you do about it before it starts costing you patients and profits?
The Operational Impact of Staffing Gaps Being Understaffed in Healthcare
Let’s begin with the obvious: being understaffed in healthcare often leads to overworked employees, overtime hours, and operational inefficiencies. But the ripple effects go even deeper.
Burnout and Overtime Overload
When you’re short-staffed, employees pick up the slack. This leads to inflated labor costs, staff fatigue, and higher turnover. According to the MGMA DataDive 2025, high overtime correlates directly with retention issues.
Patient Experience Declines
Patients feel the pressure too—longer wait times, shorter interactions, and reduced trust. This affects HCAHPS scores and reimbursement under value-based care models.
Risk of Compliance Violations
Missing documentation, delayed credentialing, or safety oversights are more likely to happen in an overwhelmed system, putting your organization at regulatory risk.
Reputation and Recruitment Damage
When staff turnover is high and service is strained, your reputation suffers. This not only impacts patients—it turns off future job candidates too.
Alt text: Healthcare team discussing ways to resolve being understaffed in healthcare
Smart Ways to Prevent Staffing Shortfalls
You don’t have to accept being understaffed in healthcare as the norm. Here are three solutions that can reduce the damage and restore confidence in your workforce model.
Temp-to-Perm Staffing Lets You Test Before You Invest
Instead of hiring blindly, explore temp-to-perm staffing. You evaluate candidates in action, reduce bad hires, and keep departments running while you hire with precision.
Workforce Advisors Deliver Long-Term Staffing Strategy
At The AGA Group™, we’re more than recruiters—we’re workforce partners. Our advisory approach helps match candidates based on culture, compliance, and patient care priorities.
Benchmarking Reveals the Gaps You Can’t See
Not sure where you stand? Tools like MGMA’s DataDive provide crucial benchmarks by specialty. We help translate those numbers into staffing plans that save money and reduce stress.
Taking the First Step Toward Staffing Stability
Staffing challenges don’t solve themselves. Here’s what you can do today:
- Audit last year’s overtime hours and turnover.
- Identify vulnerable departments.
- Request a workforce consultation with our team.
Learn more about our medical and dental staffing services and how we help healthcare organizations across Kansas and Missouri reduce costs and improve care.
About the Author
Greg Ikner is the President of The AGA Group™, a Kansas City-based healthcare staffing firm with over 45 years of executive search and recruiting experience. The firm specializes in medical, dental, and healthcare leadership placements across Kansas and Missouri.
