Valued Voice

WHA Council on Workforce Development had an opportunity to share their best practices when the group met on Nov. 14, 2025. To start the meeting, two council members shared their approach to engagement and retention, the outcomes they achieved and key learnings. Identifying root causes through cross-functional teams, the need for clarity in compensation models, firm adherence to internal staffing guidelines, breaking down silos of care and assuring that health care professionals have a seat at the table were included in the strategies shared to improve engagement and reduce turnover. 

The council also discussed another important retention strategy, compensation. WHA Information Center Healthcare Data Analyst Emily Holden joined the council to discuss the upcoming Compensation Survey. WHA co-brands their Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Salary Survey with the Wisconsin Health Care Human Resources Association (WisHHRA). The fourth annual co-branded survey, which collects compensation, turnover and benefits data will be released in the first week of 2026. As Holden noted, “We look forward to once again offering the survey to WHA and WisHHRA members as part of their membership benefits.” Holden will be reaching out to prior survey participants to verify their data contacts and contacting all members with an invitation to participate, as only participants will have access to the survey report. Committee members noted that participants benefited from last year’s webinars highlighting survey requirements.

WHA's twenty-second annual WHA Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Report is also due in early 2026. WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk asked the WHA workforce council for their assistance in gathering data to better define the current state of the physician workforce in Wisconsin. Council members reviewed the data elements proposed by Zenk and will assist in a data-gathering trial. The group noted the analysis will be important to target the right interventions to grow, support and sustain the physician workforce, and to their internal efforts as they work on succession planning and strengthening the workforce that serves their communities, hospitals and health systems.

Contact Ann Zenk to learn more about the WHA Council on Workforce Development, the annual workforce report or any other health care workforce issues.