Policy shifts in motion: navigating change in healthcare

It’s well past the first 100 days of the administration that took command in the beginning of 2025. Now, we’re deep into the ripple effects — and they’re hitting hard across the U.S. healthcare system and workplace culture at large.

What began as headline-grabbing policy shifts are now showing up in people’s day-to-day lives. Hospital teams. Healthcare administrators. Frontline workers. Real people — dealing with the real impact of restructuring, economic stress and shifting priorities.

That’s why we’re talking about it. Because while policy and economics may grab headlines, it’s people who experience the real effects of change. The ones absorbing stress, adapting daily and keeping systems running.

We want organizations to know: we’re here to support the human experience behind the scenes — the invisible load employees carry as the world around them shifts.

From Policy to People: What’s Changing in Public Health

Federal restructuring has reshaped how the U.S. approaches public health — and it’s still unfolding.

Changes to the Department of Health and Human Services have downsized or eliminated several CDC initiatives, including programs focused on injury prevention, lead poisoning, worker safety, chronic diseases, vaccine research and reproductive health surveillance. ‘Boots-on-the-ground’ programs are disappearing, with ripple effects across hospitals and communities.

Plus, the U.S. has also formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), a move public health experts warn could limit U.S. access to early disease surveillance data and complicate coordinated responses to future global health threats.

Economic Pressures and Industry Response

Tariffs are back — and they’re biting.

Roughly 75% of medical devices used in the U.S. are imported, and most of those are now subject to new or higher tariffs. These costs aren’t staying at the policy level — they’re hitting supply chains, budgets, and ultimately, patients.

For example, GE HealthCare recently cut its annual profit forecast, citing the financial strain of tariffs and global trade disruptions.

More broadly, the economy is feeling the pressure too. In Q1 2025, the U.S. GDP contracted by 0.3%, the worst showing since 2022. Much of that decline stemmed from the scramble to import goods before tariff hikes, coupled with widespread cuts to government spending.

Behind the Numbers: Healthcare Workers Are Feeling It

These aren’t abstract trends. They translate directly into day-to-day stress for healthcare workers. Professionals are facing tighter resources, higher emotional demands and ongoing instability.

Burnout is a widespread reality.

According to a 2024 AMA survey, 45% of physicians are still experiencing burnout. But this stress isn’t limited to physicians. Nurses, techs and administrative staff are also navigating a system that feels stretched, uncertain and deeply disconnected.

How Circles Helps Teams Thrive Through Change

Let’s face it — when industries face disruption, it’s the employees who feel the shockwaves, first. Uncertainty around healthcare, shifting regulations and economic pressure doesn’t just impact business strategies — it impacts well-being, focus and a sense of stability at work.

That’s where Circles comes in.

For over 25 years, Circles has been the behind-the-scenes support team helping employees weather change — from major global events to everyday life disruptions. We specialize in lightening the load, helping teams feel more grounded, and reconnecting them to their purpose at work.

Here’s how we help healthcare organizations in particular:

• We ease everyday burdens with on-demand concierge services that save time and reduce mental clutter.
• We create meaningful experiences through hospitality-focused amenities that make on-site life more human.
• We help build emotional resilience by offering programs designed for grief, burnout and compassion fatigue.
• We foster connection with peer networks, team-building moments, and community-focused events.

Because when healthcare gets harder, people need more than clinical tools — they need care, too.

Circles Takes Care of Those Who Care for Others

In the healthcare industry, support has to meet people where they are — especially those working in high-stress, emotionally demanding roles. We design programs that ease the pressure healthcare professionals and clinical teams feel every day. From on-demand services that give time back, to spaces where caregivers can pause, grieve, or simply breathe — we help restore the balance between giving care and receiving it.

Caregivers can access resources for compassion fatigue, grief and boundary-setting. Hospital teams can come together in community spaces that rebuild morale, strengthen internal bonds and revive a shared sense of purpose after tough stretches.

Whether it’s a nurse drained by back-to-back shifts, a technician running on fumes, or a manager trying to lift team morale — Circles gives them room to exhale, reset and reconnect.

As organizations navigate ongoing change, we help build cultures where people feel heard, valued and genuinely supported — not just by each other, but by the organization itself. And in uncertain times, that sense of belonging becomes the glue that holds teams — and missions — together.

Stronger Cultures Start with Human-Centered Support

Organizations that invest in employee experience don’t just weather change better; they lead through it. Healthcare leadership, especially, needs support. Because every policy shift, every budget cut, every supply chain disruption — they land on someone’s desk, someone’s lap, someone’s already-overloaded plate.

With Circles, organizations send a clear message: We see you. We support you. We’ve got your back.

And that message builds something powerful: loyalty, trust and resilience that lasts longer than any economic cycle.

Resilience Starts with People

In healthcare, people are the infrastructure.

Machines, buildings, policies — they’re important. But it’s people who deliver care, comfort and calm during crisis. Circles helps those people feel supported, connected and able to keep going by reducing friction in their daily lives, improving access to support and helping them feel heard and valued.

We’re here to support your people — so they can keep doing what they do best. Because when they thrive, your organization will, too.