Addressing Staffing Shortages in Healthcare: A Practical Guide for U.S. Providers

Healthcare staffing shortages are one of the most persistent operational challenges facing U.S. practices today. As Thomas & Baum explain in their 2025 Podiatrym piece, workforce gaps, driven by burnout, training bottlenecks, and rising patient demand, can adversely affect patient experience, staff satisfaction, and clinic efficiency.

Administrative burdens, in particular, often compound clinical strain: appointment overload, double bookings, insurance verification failures, and rushed documentation can all undermine care quality.

A growing solution recommended in the article (and increasingly adopted across specialties) is to augment clinical teams with virtual assistants (VAs) who specialize in healthcare support. Below, we break down the article’s key points and expand with practical guidance for U.S. providers.

Table of Contents


Understanding the Drivers of Staffing Shortages

  • Population growth and aging increase care demand. 
  • Complexity of care adds workflow burden. 
  • Long, costly medical training and education bottlenecks limit workforce growth. 
  • Burnout and attrition are high among clinicians and office staff.

What this means for U.S. practices:
 Healthcare practices don’t just need more bodies; they need support that reduces avoidable workload. Administrative tasks such as patient scheduling, insurance follow-ups, referral coordination, and record management are time-intensive but critical. Relieving these tasks from clinical staff can improve retention, reduce burnout, and enhance patient experience.

Practical takeaway:
 Start by categorizing your workflows into clinical vs. administrative buckets. Tasks that don’t require clinical licensure, but do require accuracy, HIPAA compliance, and excellent communication, are strong candidates for delegation to remote support professionals.


Virtual Assistants as a Response to Workforce Gaps

Key point from the article:
 Hiring virtual assistants can address staff shortages and improve practice efficiency by handling administrative burdens.

What providers should know:
 Remote assistants are not a replacement for clinical care; they are highly trained support professionals capable of managing workflows that fall outside the scope of direct patient care. They excel in roles such as appointment management, insurance coordination, billing support, and EHR maintenance; all of which can free up time for licensed clinicians and in-office teams.

Ataraxis has observed this trend across hundreds of practices: when non-clinical work is delegated thoughtfully, providers report shorter hold times, fewer documentation errors, and improved patient flow, even in high-volume specialties like urgent care and outpatient clinics.

Practical takeaway:
 Create a task inventory by listing everything your current team does that doesn’t require a licensed provider. These are the workflows most efficiently delegated to virtual support.


Core Competencies to Look for in Healthcare Virtual Assistants

The original article outlines key VA attributes:

  • Knowledge of healthcare workflows and terminology. 
  • HIPAA compliance and privacy awareness. 
  • Proficiency with practice software systems (EHR, appointment platforms). 
  • Strong communication skills.

Expanded guide for practice leaders:

  • Healthcare literacy: Assistants should understand medical terminology and standard clinical workflows (e.g., what a prior authorization means or why accurate coding matters). 
  • Operational tools: Experience with EHR/EMR systems like Athenahealth, Kareo, Epic, NextGen, and SimplePractice leads to faster onboarding and fewer errors. 
  • HIPAA & Security: Ensure assistants are trained in privacy standards and data security, ideally with Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) in place. 
  • Communication: Great assistants communicate clearly over email, phone, and telehealth platforms, helping enhance patient engagement and reduce follow-ups.

This mirrors the broader industry guidance on what makes healthcare “VA-ready,” and helps reduce frustrations that arise when assistants aren’t set up for success.


What Tasks Can Virtual Assistants Handle?

Thomas and Baum note that virtual assistants can support:

  • Appointment scheduling and patient calls. 
  • Patient record management. 
  • Insurance coordination.
     

Practical, modern task list for U.S. providers:

  • Scheduling & reminders: Confirm appointments, send automated reminders, reschedule no-shows. 
  • Insurance verification & prior authorization support: Reduce claim delays and denials. 
  • EHR documentation: Update charts, label encounters, and prepare notes. 
  • Patient follow-ups: Post-visit messages, preventive care reminders, or intake forms. 
  • Billing support: Assist with claims tracking and basic revenue cycle tasks.
     

Outsourcing these specific workflows has helped practices stay compliant and efficient without adding to on-site staff overhead, which is especially helpful for small and mid-size clinics.


Best Practices for Onboarding Remote Support

The Podiatrym article recommends thoughtful planning when bringing on a virtual assistant: define responsibilities, ensure secure work setups, and provide comprehensive onboarding.

Here’s a practical onboarding checklist for U.S. practices:

  1. Define responsibilities clearly. Write a task list with priorities and expected outcomes. 
  2. Map technology access. Provide secure logins to EHR, scheduling systems, and phone systems. 
  3. Train on workflows. Use video guides, documentation, and practice sessions to transfer knowledge. 
  4. Evaluate performance early. Implement 30- and 60-day check-ins to confirm fit and adjust as needed. 
  5. Include your assistant in team syncs. Even remote assistants benefit from weekly staff meetings or huddles.

Structured onboarding fosters engagement and ensures assistants are aligned with your practice culture and expectations.


Balancing Remote Support with Patient Experience

One concern providers often raise is whether patients will feel disconnected if support tasks are remote. The Podiatrym article suggests that well-trained assistants can improve responsiveness and reduce frustration from long hold times.

Tips for maintaining patient experience:

  • Use branded phone numbers and email addresses tied to your practice so patients perceive continuity. 
  • Train VAs on your communication style (friendly tone, expected scripts for common calls). 
  • Track metrics like wait times, claim turnaround, and patient satisfaction for continuous improvement.

Remote does not mean detached; with careful implementation, virtual assistants can elevate patient experience.


Quantifying Impact: Efficiency, Satisfaction, and Care Quality

The article concludes that virtual assistants can enhance productivity and patient satisfaction while controlling costs.

For U.S. practices, this often looks like:

  • Reduced administrative backlog 
  • Improved appointment accuracy 
  • Shorter wait and hold times 
  • Better claim processing timelines

These operational improvements translate to more time for providers to focus on clinical care, which ultimately improves outcomes and satisfaction for patients and staff alike.


Conclusion: Strategic Workforce Solutions for Modern Practices

Staffing shortages in healthcare are structural and persistent, but not insurmountable. Virtual assistants offer a practical, scalable way to mitigate administrative workloads, enhance patient experience, and support staff well-being. By aligning remote support with your practice goals and workflows, providers can focus on what matters most; delivering excellent patient care.