This article reviews CENTEGIX’s 2026 report on healthcare work environments, covering last year’s rise of AI automation, worsening burnout and workplace violence, and safety costs. It highlights wearable duress badges as a data-driven solution and urges adaptable, workforce-focused leadership that can prove ROI on safety investments.

• Healthcare workers face violence at 5x the rate of other US workers, costing the industry $18.3 billion annually in turnover, workers' comp, legal fees and care for injured staff.
• 61% of surveyed nurses intend to leave their jobs within a year, despite a projected 10% national RN shortage by 2027 (up to 24% in some regions).
• CENTEGIX's wearable duress badges let staff trigger incident reports with time/location/context data, helping leaders identify danger zones and peak-risk periods.
• AI adoption in clinical documentation, coding and prior authorizations cut paperwork and freed provider time, but introduced unresolved risks around data security, bias and privacy.