As we close out the year, HWL Talks welcomes a special guest—HWL Co-Founder and President Jonathan Ward—for a candid conversation on the state and future of healthcare staffing.

With more than 30 years of industry experience, Jonathan reflects on the biggest workforce challenges healthcare organizations face today, from ongoing staffing shortages and financial pressure to the growing role of AI, data, and transparency in workforce decision-making. He shares how contingent labor models, MSP and VMS adoption, and smarter analytics are reshaping nursing, allied, and physician staffing—and why the next phase of innovation must focus on reducing friction for both healthcare organizations and agency partners.

Jonathan also offers a look ahead at what excites him most about HWL’s evolution, including investments in advanced analytics, greater pricing transparency, and technology designed to support long-term, sustainable workforce strategies.

Whether you’re a healthcare leader, recruiter, or workforce strategist, this episode offers valuable insight into where the industry has been—and where it’s headed next.