Southern Virginia continues to face significant demand for health care workers, with registered nurses topping the list of occupations needed across the region, according to a new report from Claude Moore Opportunities.
The nonprofit organization, which focuses on health care workforce development in Virginia, recently released its latest State of the Healthcare Workforce report for Southern Virginia.
The report, based on an analysis of active job advertisements by the George Mason University Center for Health Workforce, estimates that Southern Virginia needs 1,229 registered nurses to meet the region’s health care demands.
Other occupations with significant workforce needs include 330 physical therapists, 309 social and human service assistants, 288 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, 249 occupational therapy assistants and 209 nursing assistants.
The analysis also identified a need for 194 speech-language pathologists, 147 personal care aides, 124 nurse practitioners, 121 radiologic technologists and technicians, 105 mental health and substance abuse social workers, 104 occupational therapists, 99 physical therapist assistants, 95 mental health counselors and 87 pharmacy technicians.
The figures are based on data from the first quarter of 2026.
Statewide, the need is even greater. The George Mason analysis estimates Virginia needs 17,288 registered nurses, 8,529 social and human service assistants, 4,436 physical therapists, 4,033 radiologic technologists and technicians, 3,993 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses and 3,611 nursing assistants.
Virginia also needs an estimated 2,863 mental health counselors and 2,545 personal care aides, according to the report.
Additional statewide needs include cardiovascular technologists and technicians, speech-language pathologists, medical assistants, mental health and substance abuse social workers, physician assistants, psychiatric technicians and occupational therapy assistants.
“Virginia’s healthcare workforce shortage creates a serious challenge for the delivery of affordable, accessible healthcare services, but it also presents a real opportunity to create great career opportunities if we can connect Virginians with the education, training, and certification they need,” said Dr. Bill Hazel, CEO of Claude Moore Opportunities and former Virginia secretary of health and human resources.
“At Claude Moore Opportunities we are working every day with state, regional, and local partners to create flexible career pathways that allow more Virginians to build a stable, well-paying career while meeting the healthcare needs of their community,” Hazel said. “Local, state, and regional partners from the public and private sectors must all work collaboratively to get ahead of this real and urgent challenge.”
Karen Schaufeld, president of the Claude Moore Opportunities Board of Directors, said the organization has worked to expand access to health care career opportunities since its founding.
“It is clear that this is one of the most urgent challenges for Virginia’s health, well-being, and economic future,” Schaufeld said. “We recognize the tremendous personal and community-wide benefits of expanded healthcare workforce and remain committed to investing in Virginia’s next generation of badly-needed healthcare workers.”
Dr. Caroline Sutter, DNP, co-director of the George Mason Center for Health Workforce, said the needs vary from one Virginia community to another.
“The data makes clear that Virginia’s healthcare workforce challenges are not the same in every community,” Sutter said. “By identifying statewide shortages and distinct regional needs, this report gives educators, employers, policymakers, and workforce partners the information they need to target resources, strengthen career pathways, and develop sustainable solutions.”
Claude Moore Opportunities is working on several initiatives intended to expand access to health care education and training.
One of its primary efforts is the Virginia Partnership for Health Science Careers, a coalition of nine regional “sector partnerships” that brings together schools, health care providers and workforce agencies to identify regional needs and coordinate efforts.
The organization also manages the Claude Moore Scholars program, funded by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. Since its launch in 2007, the program has invested more than $27 million to help more than 43,000 Virginia students access education and training related to health care careers.
Claude Moore Opportunities also is developing programs to help military medics and corpsmen pursue civilian health care careers and to expand the state’s youth mental health workforce.
The organization hosted its annual Claude Moore Scholars summit in Richmond last week, bringing together partner organizations from across Virginia to discuss the latest workforce data and strategies for addressing health care workforce shortages.
