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The UCSF HWRC is starting its 14th year of examining the issues facing the long-term care workforce in the United States. We’re excited to share the five new projects that we launched this fall, which were selected in collaboration with our funder, the U.S. National Center for Health Workforce Analysis within the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. You can learn more about our new and ongoing projects on the Projects page of our website.
Joanne Spetz, PhD, FAAN
Director
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Lei Chen Awarded Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship Grant
Lei Chen was awarded a grant through the Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship for All Program for her study, “Foreign-Born Direct Care Workers in Dementia Caregiving.” Her research will explore the experiences and contributions of foreign-born direct care workers who provide essential support to people living with dementia. The study aims to deepen understanding of this vital segment of the dementia care workforce and contribute to efforts to strengthen dementia care and support.
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New Research: Variations in
Hospice Care Delivery
Lauren Hunt, PhD, RN, FNP, and colleagues analyzed hospice visit patterns among more than 7 million Medicare beneficiaries in a new Health Affairs Scholar study. Their findings reveal notable differences by diagnosis and geographic region, highlighting the importance of workforce planning and equitable access to hospice care.
Watch the accompanying video for key insights from Dr. Hunt and her team, and explore the full study.
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Three HWRC Alums Pursue Nursing Careers
We’re proud to celebrate three HWRC alumni who are advancing their careers in nursing and making an impact in healthcare.
- Liwam Nerayo graduated from UC Davis with her master’s degree in nursing in December 2025. In April 2026, she began working as a registered nurse at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.
- Sofia Sandoval is currently pursuing her master’s degree in nursing science at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
- Amber Rose recently graduated from the direct-entry master’s in nursing program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In November, she will move to Eugene, Oregon, where she will begin working as a nurse in a Level II trauma emergency department.
Congratulations to Liwam, Sofia, and Amber on these exciting milestones! We’re proud to see HWRC alumni continuing their education and building careers dedicated to caring for others.
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New National Academies Report on Measuring the Care Economy
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has published a new consensus study report, A Data Infrastructure for Measuring the Care Economy, developed by a committee on which Joanne Spetz served over the past year. The report examines the data currently available to measure the U.S. care economy and offers recommendations for improving, expanding, and integrating the nation’s care data infrastructure. It also provides a roadmap for strengthening how paid and unpaid care, caregivers, care needs, and the broader care economy are measured and understood.
Read the report and learn more about the project.
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Recent Presentations
Health Workforce Technical Assistance Center
Webinar | July 28, 2026 (Recording here)
Introducing the AWARD Network Data Compendium: A New Resource for Direct Care Workforce Research. Jenny Kwon and Lei Chen.
International Long-Term Care Policy Network
London, England | September 9–11, 2026
State Staffing Regulations and Staffing Patterns in Residential Care Communities: Evidence of a Push–Pull Dynamic. Joanne Spetz.
Do Training Requirements for Nursing Home and Assisted Living Staff Improve Workforce Preparation in Long-Term Care? Joanne Spetz.
The Influence of Payer Reimbursement Structure on Dementia Care Pathways. Joanne Spetz.
Upcoming Presentations
American Public Health Association 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo
San Antonio, TX | November 1–4, 2026
The Relationship Between Employment Status and Health Among Adults With Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Needs in California. Poster presentation by Lei Chen and Kathryn Kietzman.
Gerontological Society of America 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting
National Harbor, MD | November 4–7, 2026
Exploring Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research on the Dementia Home and Community-Based Services Workforce. Symposium presentation by Lei Chen, Jenny Kwon, Matthew Beld, JiWon Choi, Suzanna Martinez, and Jarmin Yeh.
Foreign-Born Dementia Care Workers in U.S. Residential Care: Employment and Policy Implications. Symposium presentation by Lei Chen, Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca, Yiqing Qian, and Joanne Spetz.
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Connecting at AAIC 2026
Van Park, Laura Wagner, and Jarmin Yeh enjoyed some time together at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London this July.
| | | AWARD Network Data Compendium | | |
The AWARD Network is developing a research-ready harmonized dataset of topics and programs that affect the demand, supply, working conditions, and skills of direct care workers.
We have released the topic descriptions and harmonized datasets for seven topics:
- State Medicaid waiver programs
- Mandates related to wages, benefits, and path-through laws
- Consumer-directed models of care
- Training regulations for direct care workers
- Staffing regulations for nursing homes and assisted living facilities
- Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees (Dual Eligibles)
- Regulations regarding the tasks that direct care workers can provide
You can download materials from the data compendium webpage, where we will continue to share updates on the data compendium.
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Arriaga, AT, Castillo, E, Chan, GK, Wagner, LM. Breaking the Cycle: First-Generation College Nursing Students Attending a Rural Community College. Nursing Open, 2026, 13(10): e70878. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.70878.
Hunt, LJ, Spetz, J, Gan, S, Aldridge, MD, Ankuda, CK, Harrison, KL. Hospice Visit Patterns Across Patient Demographic and Clinical Characteristics. Health Affairs Scholar. 2026;4(10). https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxag271
Lee, N, Baernholdt, M, Leeman, J, Spetz, J, Lee, N, Toles, MP. Workplace Outcomes and Experiences of Internationally Educated Nurses: A Scoping Review. Medical Care Research and Review, 2026, 83(5): 303–328 (online August 6). https://doi.org/10.1177/10775587261468704.
Samson, Z, Wagner, LM, Hunt, LJ, Muench, U. Predictors of Job Turnover Among Home Health Versus Hospital Nurses: An Observational Study Using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2026, 174: 105301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2025.105301.
Samson, Z, Hunt, LJ, Wagner, LM, Muench, U. Beneficiary Characteristics Associated With Volume of Skilled Clinical Nursing and Therapy Home Health. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2026, 27(8): 106348 (advance online publication). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2026.106348.
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The UCSF Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care (UCSF HWRC) is a dynamic hub of policy-oriented research and investigation, established through support from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in the U.S. Bureau of Health Workforce. UCSF HWRC closely examines the health care workforce and helps shape policies to meet expanding LTC needs. Our research includes the workforce in nursing homes, home health care, adult day care, community-based settings, and home settings, and includes all LTC occupations.
Director: Joanne Spetz, PhD, FAAN
Deputy Director: Laura Wagner, PhD, RN, FAAN
Visit: https://healthworkforce.ucsf.edu/
Follow on Twitter: @ucsfhwrc or Bluesky: @ucsfhwrc.bsky.social
This newsletter highlights new HWRC publications, as well as workforce-related research conducted by our team at the Institute for Health Policy Studies and Healthforce Center at UCSF, UCSF School of Nursing and other research partners.
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