CHIA presents statewide workforce survey: high vacancy and turnover among nurses and direct care workers; 2025 survey refinements planned

Officials from the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) briefed the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities’ workforce support subcommittee on statewide health care and human services workforce survey results and described plans to refine and relaunch a second survey cycle in 2025.

CHIA staff said their inaugural health care sector survey (fielded May 2023–January 2024) and a follow-up human services sector survey (fielded July–September 2024) show consistently high vacancy and turnover in registered nurse (RN) and direct care roles, widespread reports that pay is not competitive, and that many providers have limited new patient intakes or seen growing waitlists because of staffing shortages.

CHIA’s mission and survey scope

Zizan, deputy executive director for research at the Center for Health Information and Analysis, described CHIA as “a state health data agency” whose mission is to “collect and provide reliable, objective analysis on all health care–related issues and challenges.” CHIA’s workforce survey program covers multiple provider types, including acute care hospitals, nursing homes, home and community‑based providers, behavioral health, community health centers, dental practices, EMS and public hospitals. The agency publishes results in an interactive dashboard with both sector‑level and cross‑sector views.

Key findings

• Sector timing and sample: CHIA said its health care survey was fielded May 2023–January 2024 and its human services survey July–September 2024. For the 2024 human services survey CHIA reported collecting responses from 64 state operators and 197 private operators; CHIA weighted…