Becker's Hospital Review

32 CLINICAL LEADERSHIP Cleveland Clinic plans continued expansion in Florida, including a new outpatient center and ambulatory surgery center set to open in 2027 and a $500 million, 200-bed hospital expected in 2029. Risks to sustainability While Florida has a high demand for healthcare, some leaders warn that not all expansions benefit the broader ecosystem. Nearly 2 in 5 Florida hospitals operate with margins of 5% or less, and about 27% have negative margins, according to the Florida Hospital Association. Financially, Ms. Mayhew said she is concerned about "boutique-type hospitals" that solely focus on profitable service lines, leaving other organizations to absorb lower-margin services such as labor and delivery and inpatient psychiatric care. She also pointed to broader policy pressures that could strain hospitals even as demand grows. "ere's a much broader issue here of the policy and politics of healthcare," Ms. Mayhew said. "at doesn't mean that we shouldn't be focused on the sustainability and the affordability of the healthcare system, but we need to be really careful about simplistic, easy button solutions that undermine and erode critical investments in staffing [and] keeping pace with wages." What it means for patients For patients, Florida's growing healthcare market brings both expanded access and added complexity, health system leaders said. Partnerships between national and regional systems are expanding access to specialty care, advanced treatment and clinical expertise closer to home, according to Northwestern Medicine and BayCare. At the same time, fragmentation remains an issue, as providers oen operate on different EHRs and across separate networks. As more systems enter or expand in Florida — oen independently of one another — the Sunshine State's healthcare landscape could become increasingly clouded by fragmentation or move toward more seamless care, depending on how well those systems connect. n What it takes to sustain engagement among Gen Z nurses: 6 things to know By Erica Cerutti G eneration Z nurses require more frequent one- on-one interaction with managers and leaders than prior generations to maintain similar levels of engagement and retention, according to a March 25 report from Laudio and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. "Engaging and Retaining Gen Z Nurses: Trends and Strategies" draws on data from Laudio's workforce analytics platform, spanning nearly 100,000 registered nurses and their managers across more than 150 hospitals and health systems, along with interviews with nurse leaders. It examines how the fastest-growing segment of the nursing workforce is reshaping expectations around leadership, scheduling and career development. Six key findings: 1. Gen Z now represents the second-largest cohort of nurses in health systems and is the only generation increasing its share, signaling a continued shift in workforce dynamics as older cohorts retire or exit. 2. Compared with other generations, Gen Z nurses require about 2.5 times more meaningful interactions with frontline leaders each month to achieve similar engagement and retention outcomes. These interactions typically included one-on-one check-ins, recognition and feedback. 3. Retention is strongest in the first two years of employment, a period typically supported by residency programs and structured onboarding. After roughly 30 months, turnover among Gen Z nurses rises above that of other generations, suggesting the necessity of reinforced engagement once formal support programs taper off. 4. Gen Z nurses are more likely to cluster shifts to create longer stretches of time off and are more consistent about taking meal breaks. While these patterns may support work-life balance, the report also notes they could contribute to fatigue and burnout over time. 5. Early-career movement into certain specialties, such as critical care, is occurring alongside slower entry into others, including rehab and therapy roles. At the same time, Gen Z nurses are stepping into charge nurse and assistant manager roles at rates comparable to prior generations, indicating a stable early leadership pipeline. 6. Interviews with nurse leaders at high-performing organizations identified five priorities for engaging and retaining Gen Z nurses: personalizing professional development, reducing administrative friction, modernizing communication channels, offering greater scheduling flexibility and strengthening mental health support. Together, these efforts reflect a broader shift toward more individualized and continuous engagement strategies. n

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