Hawaiʻi Still Needs Doctors. We’re Gaining On Nurses, At Least

While Hawaiʻi’s doctor shortage widens, vacancies in other healthcare jobs are shrinking, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi’s biannual report. Non-physician healthcare job openings decreased by 20% between 2024 and 2026. The largest decrease in vacancy rates occurred on the neighbor islands, where the greatest need for healthcare professionals exists. That’s due to collaborative efforts from the state, universities and private partners, the report says, which together invested in training opportunities for high-priority jobs. There’s been a deliberate focus on creating programs on the neighbor islands, association President and CEO Hilton Raethel said. “This is not a Honolulu-centric program. It’s a statewide program,” he said. Of the 34,001 healthcare profession jobs surveyed in 2026, 3,739 remained open. That’s 930, or 20%, fewer unfilled positions than in 2024. In those two years, the total statewide vacancy rate fell from 14% to 11%.

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