The cardiology workforce is under growing strain as demand for heart care rises and physicians face mounting administrative and scheduling pressures.
Becker’s connected with cardiology leaders to get their thoughts on how to grapple with the staffing challenges facing the industry.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What’s the most important step health systems or policymakers should take now to sustain the cardiology workforce and ensure patients have timely access to care?
Charu Gupta, MD. Advanced Heart Failure Cardiologist at Endeavor Health (Evanston, Ill.): Expanding healthcare coverage is essential. Consistent Medicaid coverage beyond pregnancy and postpartum could save lives. Strengthening primary care resources also ensures specialty consults are more focused and efficient.
Keith Churchwell, MD. Immediate Past President of the American Heart Association (Dallas): Systems should resource cardiovascular teams properly, from nursing to technical support, and improve EHR tools. This allows cardiologists to focus their expertise on a growing and complex patient population.
Ilan Kedan, MD. Cardiologist at Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Hospital (Los Angeles): Sustaining the workforce requires valuing cardiologists at all career stages, especially mid- and late-career physicians. Innovation is needed to reduce workload intensity, preserve quality, and engage physicians beyond productivity metrics to ensure long-term retention and patient access.
Warren Levy, MD. Cardiologist and Immediate Past President & Chief Medical Officer at Virginia Heart (Arlington, Va.): With a net loss of cardiologists each year, we must empower cardiovascular APPs as integral care team members and foster stronger alignment with primary care through clinically integrated networks.
Judy Mangion, MD. Cardiologist and Associate Director of the Echo Lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston): Health systems and policymakers must prioritize workforce well-being. Just as airline pilots are not expected to work for weeks without rest, physicians should not be subjected to outdated scheduling practices.
Ryan Paul. Imaging Specialist at Atlanta Heart Specialist: Congress must address hospital closures that limit local access, and states should reform Certificate of Need laws, which raise costs and restrict independent practices. Both steps are critical to sustaining access to cardiology care.
Shawn Ragbir, MD. Cardiologist at Cardiology Clinic of San Antonio: Specialty deserts remain a challenge for vulnerable patients. Compensation for outreach clinics and rural service line staffing, along with partnerships between academic centers and rural hospitals, can expand access and train future providers.
Samuel Dudley, MD, PhD. Cardiologist at Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis): Solutions include funding more fellowship spots, reducing administrative burdens, ensuring fair workloads and pay, supporting autonomy, and fostering community and professional growth.
Saraschandra Vallabhajosyula, MD. Interventional and Critical Care Cardiologist at Brown University Health Cardiovascular Institute (Providence, R.I.): The key steps are minimizing administrative burdens, improving scheduling autonomy, and streamlining insurer interactions so clinicians can focus primarily on patient care.
