Healthcare HR is entering a pressure point week. In this Monday News Drop, Bo Brabo, Luke Carignan, and Jeremy Sadlier break down three converging forces that are already reshaping labor strategy, care delivery, and executive decision making.

Segment 1: The “Peace Treaty” Hangover
The New York City nurses strike has officially ended at NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai, but the real impact is just beginning. The tentative agreement sets a national precedent: a 19% wage increase over three years paired with an ironclad staffing enforcement clause. If staffing ratios are missed, nurses receive automatic premium pay with no arbitration and no delay.

HR takeaway: This is not just a labor story. It is an operational and financial risk signal. HR leaders should immediately calculate their staffing miss rate and model what automatic penalties would have cost last month. If you wait for the union to raise this, you are already behind.

Segment 2: The Telehealth Countdown
Extended Medicare telehealth flexibilities expire in 11 days, on January 30, 2026. Without Congressional action, the geographic originating site rule snaps back on February 1, limiting reimbursement for home based telehealth visits outside rural areas.

HR takeaway: Do you know which providers in your system would be out of compliance on February 1? If not, why not? This is a data and workforce planning problem, not just a policy issue. Patient access, provider schedules, and employee time off will all be affected if telehealth abruptly contracts.

Segment 3: The Efficiency Wave Moves West
Following Alameda Health, Providence announced cuts of approximately 450 non clinical roles across Washington and Oregon, while CVS Health and its subsidiary Oak Street Health are closing clinics and reducing headcount. Growth at all costs is giving way to margin preservation.

HR takeaway: This is not panic. It is a phase change. Expect continued role consolidation, automation, and redeployment. The best organizations will reskill and redeploy talent with integrity, transparency, and real choice, not force disguised as opportunity.

The Bigger Picture
Labor contracts, care delivery models, and financial discipline are converging fast. If you are in healthcare HR and still see yourself as adjacent to strategy, it is time to step forward. The teams who engage now will be shaping enterprise decisions a year from today.

🎧 Listen in, get ahead, and lead from the center.

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In this week’s Monday News Drop, hosts Bo Brabo, Luke Carignan, and Jeremy Sadlier unpack the critical workforce, policy, and compensation trends shaping healthcare HR as we move deeper into 2026. From labor risk to pay strategy to the expiration of ACA subsidies, this episode delivers practical insight leaders can act on immediately.

Key Topics Covered:

Nurse Strike Risk & Staffing Ratios
With New York City facing potential large-scale nursing strikes, the conversation highlights how staffing ratios are shifting from policy language to enforceable labor contract terms. The takeaway for HR leaders is clear: transparency, staffing communication, and proactive workforce planning can reduce strike risk faster than wages alone.

Medicaid Cuts & ACA Subsidy Expiration
The team explores the real-world impact of Medicaid funding reductions and the expiration of ACA premium subsidies. Hospitals are already seeing layoffs, rising uncompensated care, and growing emergency department utilization. HR leaders are urged to prepare for budget volatility, workforce redeployment, and increased pressure on frontline staffing.

Workforce Redeployment Over Layoffs
Rather than defaulting to layoffs, this episode reinforces the case for redeploying and upskilling existing employees. From patient access to revenue cycle roles, proactive retraining can stabilize operations while preserving institutional knowledge and morale.

2026 Pay Strategy Reality Check
National merit increases have stabilized around 3–3.5%, but healthcare remains an outlier with sustained wage pressure. The hosts discuss why across-the-board increases no longer work and why differentiated pay strategies are essential to retain top clinical talent and manage wage compression.

The HR Imperative
This episode reinforces a core message: workforce shortages are now structural, not cyclical. Burnout is an organizational risk, not an individual failure. And HR leaders play a central role in navigating labor relations, compensation strategy, and policy-driven disruption.

Actionable Takeaways for This Week:
• Run a strike-risk audit with nurse leaders
• Audit per diem and part-time coverage options
• Review telehealth compliance timelines
• Identify redeployment and upskilling opportunities

🎧 Listen now to stay ahead of the workforce, policy, and compensation shifts redefining healthcare HR in 2026.

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Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

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We made it to Episode 200, and this milestone edition of The ASHHRA Podcast could not be more timely.

Kicking off 2026, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan are joined by Jeremy Sadlier for a wide-ranging Monday News Drop that examines the forces reshaping healthcare HR, workforce strategy, and hospital operations right now—and what leaders must prepare for next.

What’s Inside Episode 200:

Workforce Shortages Are Structural, Not Cyclical
The conversation opens with a hard truth: healthcare workforce shortages are no longer temporary. Leaders must move beyond short-term hiring fixes and focus on long-term workforce redesign, redeployment, and internal talent mobility.

Burnout Is an Organizational Risk
Burnout is no longer framed as an individual resilience issue. The team discusses why burnout is increasingly viewed as a system failure—one that impacts safety, engagement, retention, and financial performance across health systems.

Upskilling Is the New Retention Strategy
Degree pathways, certifications, and employer-funded education are emerging as the most powerful retention tools. Developing internal talent is no longer optional—it’s essential to sustainability.

AI in Healthcare HR Is Moving Faster Than Governance
From recruiting and scheduling to workforce analytics and productivity modeling, AI adoption is accelerating. The challenge? Governance, bias controls, and leadership readiness are lagging behind the technology.

The Expiration of ACA Subsidies and Its Ripple Effects
One of the most urgent discussions centers on the recent expiration of ACA subsidies. The group breaks down what this means for hospital finances, emergency department utilization, workforce planning, and HR budgets in 2026 and beyond.

Why This Episode Matters

This isn’t just a look back—it’s a clear-eyed look forward. Episode 200 challenges healthcare HR leaders to think systemically, plan strategically, and step confidently into their role as operational leaders during a time of unprecedented change.

Whether you’re focused on workforce planning, employee engagement, AI strategy, or healthcare policy impacts, this episode delivers perspective you can use immediately.

From Our Sponsor(s)...

Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefits
Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

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