Thousands of Michigan HOSA students compete in state leadership conference

By AI, Created 10:03 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Thousands of high school and post-secondary students gathered April 16-17 at the Grand Traverse Resort for the 2026 Michigan HOSA State Leadership Conference, where they competed in more than 50 health, science and leadership events. Top finishers will advance to the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Indianapolis as Michigan works to build its healthcare workforce pipeline.

Why it matters: - Michigan is facing a healthcare workforce shortage that affects nearly every part of the state. - The conference is designed to help develop students who could fill future clinical, scientific and leadership roles in healthcare. - MHC tied the event to the state’s long-term need for trained workers, not just short-term recruitment.

What happened: - The Michigan Health Council brought together thousands of high school and post-secondary students for the 2026 Michigan HOSA State Leadership Conference. - The event took place April 16-17 at the Grand Traverse Resort. - Students competed in more than 50 events across health science, health professions, emergency preparedness and leadership categories. - Top finishers will represent Michigan at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Indianapolis.

The details: - Craig Donahue, president and CEO of MHC, said building Michigan’s healthcare workforce requires sustained investment in education, training and career development before students enter clinical settings. - Donahue said the State Leadership Conference gives students a hands-on chance to prove what they can do and move toward healthcare careers. - MHC’s 2025 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index analyzed 36 healthcare occupations. - The index found only four occupations are projected to have a surplus between 2024 and 2034: dentists, occupational therapists, radiation therapists and surgical technologists. - The index also found regional access remains a problem even in those four fields. - The international conference is set for June 17-20, 2026, and will include more than 12,000 HOSA members from across the country and around the world. - Mark Burley, chief staff development officer at MHC and director of Michigan HOSA, said the students will go on to do important work for their communities. - Burley said the Michigan students advancing to the ILC will make the state proud. - Reporters were directed to the full list of Michigan finalists advancing to the international competition in a PDF posted by Michigan HOSA: the complete list of finalists

Between the lines: - The conference serves as both a competition and an early workforce pipeline for a state with persistent healthcare staffing gaps. - The workforce index suggests Michigan’s challenge is not only the number of workers available, but also where those workers are located. - The emphasis on hands-on competition reflects a broader push to identify and develop students before they enter professional training.

What’s next: - Michigan finalists will compete at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Indianapolis on June 17-20, 2026. - Local reporters can use the finalist list to identify students from their communities who advanced to the national-level event. - MHC is likely to continue using HOSA and similar programs to support the state’s future healthcare workforce pipeline.

The bottom line: - Michigan is leaning on student talent competitions as one way to help address a long-running healthcare workforce shortage.