--- title: The Market Hasn’t Settled. It’s Signaling. description: Explore how MSP/VMS partnerships are navigating specialized staffing shortages and reshaping workforce strategy across healthcare. image: https://blog.hwlworks.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_558657551%20(1).jpeg --- [VMS Login](https://vms.hwlmsp.com/) [![HWL_2C_300DPI-Aug-29-2023-12-27-59-4566-PM](https://blog.hwlworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HWL_2C_300DPI-Aug-29-2023-12-27-59-4566-PM.jpg?width=201&height=75&name=HWL_2C_300DPI-Aug-29-2023-12-27-59-4566-PM.jpg "HWL_2C_300DPI-Aug-29-2023-12-27-59-4566-PM")](https://www.hwlmsp.com/) [Industry News](https://blog.hwlworks.com/the-market-hasnt-settled.-its-signaling#) ### x**HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY NEWS** Get industry news, client announcements, product release info, and HWL Insights directly in your inbox! # The Market Hasn’t Settled. It’s Signaling. [MSP](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/msp), [VMS](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/vms), [Healthcare Staffing](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/healthcare-staffing), [Contingent Labor](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/contingent-labor) ![](https://blog.hwlworks.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_558657551%20(1).jpeg) As an MSP/VMS partner, we operate at a unique intersection — supporting healthcare organizations under workforce pressure while collaborating closely with agencies delivering care across nursing, rehab, and support services. From this vantage point, one thing is clear: ***The healthcare labor market hasn’t recovered. It has revealed.*** Nationally, overall contingent labor usage has declined from pandemic highs. Yet that shift has not translated into universal relief. Instead, it has exposed **where workforce models are resilient — and where they must evolve**, particularly across **specialty nursing, rehab disciplines, and front**‑**line support roles**.   ### **A More Selective, More Constrained Market** Today’s staffing challenges are no longer evenly distributed. Certain roles remain persistently difficult to staff nationwide — **ICU, Emergency, Labor & Delivery, Perioperative services, and Rehabilitation clinicians (PT, OT, SLP)**. This isn’t driven by sudden demand spikes, but by the **time, experience, and specialization required to sustain these roles**. At the same time, **Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs)** remain one of the most vulnerable workforce segments nationally — essential to patient flow and outcomes, yet increasingly difficult to retain. This is not a reflection of effort by agencies or providers. It is the reality of a **stratified labor market**, where clinical complexity, scope of practice, and sustainability require a different level of recruitment to better support the partnership.   ### What We’re Asking of Our Partners — Collectively For agencies supporting MSP programs: For healthcare organizations:   ### This Is a Moment to Pivot — Together As an MSP/VMS, our role is not just to manage process, but to **surface signals**, align stakeholders, suppliers and to help the ecosystem adapt. Together, we need to rethink our approach, realign on a strong strategy, and have shared accountability. This does not eliminate scarcity. **It allows us to respond to it intelligently and with purposeful partners. ** April 17, 2026/By [Laurie DiMarzio](https://blog.hwlworks.com/author/laurie-dimarzio) TAGS: [MSP](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/msp), [VMS](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/vms), [Healthcare Staffing](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/healthcare-staffing), [Contingent Labor](https://blog.hwlworks.com/tag/contingent-labor) ##### Share this entry - Share on Facebook - Share on Twitter - Share on Pinterest - Share on Linkedin - Share on Tumblr ### Author: [Laurie DiMarzio](https://blog.hwlworks.com/author/laurie-dimarzio) Laurie DiMarzio joined HWL in 2021 as the Vice President of Account Services, overseeing the Account Management team, Compliance, and Operation’s Support. With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare staffing industry, Laurie has held a variety of leadership roles spanning from hands-on, front-end operations management to strategic and tactical leadership initiatives. She has wide-ranging, cross-functional and operational staffing experience, leading recruitment teams, integration efforts, centralized vendor management, and project management teams. Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-dimarzio-05391614/) ##### You might also like [Vendor-Neutral vs. Agency-Run MSPs: What Actually Differentiates the Models](https://blog.hwlworks.com/vendor-neutral-vs.-agency-run-msps-what-actually-differentiates-the-models) [Spotlight: Transforming Contingent Workforce Management Through Onsite Partnership](https://blog.hwlworks.com/spotlight-transforming-contingent-workforce-management-through-onsite-partnership-1) [Why RFPs Don’t Work and What to Do Instead](https://blog.hwlworks.com/why-rfps-dont-work-and-what-to-do-instead) [Vendor Neutrality in Locums: A Strategic Lever for Physician Recruitment Leaders](https://blog.hwlworks.com/vendor-neutrality-locums-physician-recruitment-strategy) [Vendor Neutrality: The Workforce Advantage CNOs Can’t Ignore](https://blog.hwlworks.com/vendor-neutrality-the-workforce-advantage-cnos-cant-ignore) [From Overwhelmed to Strategic: Giving Clinical Leaders Their Time Back](https://blog.hwlworks.com/from-overwhelmed-to-strategic-giving-clinical-leaders-their-time-back) [2025 Workforce Management Lookback: Healthcare and Education at a Crossroads](https://blog.hwlworks.com/2025-workforce-management-lookback-healthcare-and-education-at-a-crossroads) [Healthcare Staffing in 2025–2026: Stabilization Ahead — And How HWL Is Positioned to Help](https://blog.hwlworks.com/healthcare-staffing-in-2025-2026-stabilization-ahead-and-how-hwl-is-positioned-to-help) Please feel free to keep the discussion going in the comments section below. ### Latest News - [What If We've Been Measuring the Wrong Workforce Metrics](https://blog.hwlworks.com/what-if-weve-been-measuring-the-wrong-workforce-metrics) July 09, 2026 - [Built by Educators. Designed for Education.](https://blog.hwlworks.com/built-by-educators.-designed-for-education) July 06, 2026 - [Expanding Healthcare Recruitment Capacity Without Expanding Internal Headcount](https://blog.hwlworks.com/expanding-healthcare-recruitment-capacity-without-expanding-internal-headcount) May 14, 2026 [**Follow** on Twitter ](http://twitter.com/hwlmsp/) [**Follow** in Linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthcare-workforce-logistics/) [**Subscribe** to RSS Feed ](https://blog.hwlworks.com/blog/rss.xml) > [HWLMSP](https://www.facebook.com/hwlmsp/) ### More HWL Insights in your Inbox! 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