Can AI Help Michigan Nurses While Labor Disputes Demand Real Change?

Image source: MLive.com

Nurses in Michigan are facing a burnout crisis—and two of the state’s largest hospital systems, Corewell Health and Henry Ford Health, are tackling it with technology-driven solutions.

Recent labor actions reflect this ongoing strain in the nursing workforce and the urgent need for solutions. Nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital have been on strike since early September 2025, advocating for fair staffing ratios, better pay, and safer working conditions. Similarly, Corewell nurses filed an unfair labor practice charge against Corewell Health East over bargaining-rights issues, as part of broader disputes about fair treatment, safe staffing, and workplace protections.

These strikes spotlight the urgent need for hospitals to address root causes of burnout in addition to technology solutions.

The Scale of Michigan’s Nursing Challenge

According to the 2022 survey of registered nurses in Michigan, 93.63 % reported significant emotional exhaustion.  Nearly one in ten admitted to thoughts of self-harm. The subsequent 2023 study confirmed modest improvements in workplace conditions—but noted that “workload, management and leadership, and pay and benefits” remain the primary reasons nurses consider leaving their roles. 

As lead author Christopher Friese put it: “These nurses are leaving the profession Americans have trusted the most for two decades.”

From the state’s perspective, such high levels of burnout are not just a workforce issue—they’re a public-health issue. 

In that context, technology is emerging as a promising lever to reduce nurse burden, streamline workflows, and allow nurses to spend more time doing what they were trained to do: caring for patients.

How Corewell Health Is Using Tech to Relieve Nurse Burden

Corewell has embraced artificial intelligence and automation to ease clinician workload—primarily in documentation and care-coordination.

• In a December 2024 news release, Corewell announced that it selected an enterprise-wide AI platform, Abridge, to convert patient-clinician conversations into structured clinical notes in real time. 
• The pilot of the platform showed that 90% of clinicians reported improved ability to give undivided attention to patients. 
• Other outcomes: a reduction in after-hours documentation from 4.3 hours/week to 2.2 hours/week on average—a 48% savings in documentation time. 
• Clinician satisfaction improved: 85% reported increased job satisfaction, and over half reported a decrease in burnout. 
• As Chief Digital & Information Officer Jason Joseph of Corewell stated: “We are investing in innovative AI capabilities that improve workflow and efficiency and are deploying them across the state to make a significant impact not only on our patient care, but also on our clinicians’ quality of life.”

In short, Corewell’s tech investment is aimed less at replacing human care and more at reducing non-care burden (documentation, admin tasks) so that nurses and advanced-practice providers can focus on core nursing work.

Henry Ford Health’s Approach: Innovation + System Integration

Digital initiatives at Henry Ford are also attempting to reduce nurse workload:

• Henry Ford Health’s digital transformation includes upgrading its electronic medical record platform and enhancing patient-facing tools such as MyChart. 
• Its innovation partnerships and scale (more than 50,000 team members and 550 locations) give it capacity to bring digital workflows to a broad workforce.
• Though not directed solely at nurses, this breadth of infrastructure creates opportunities to relieve nursing burden through integrated digital tools, streamlined workflows, and better coordination.

Given the documented burnout levels among Michigan nurses—and the known links between documentation burden, staffing challenges and burnout—Henry Ford’s tech-forward posture positions it to adopt and expand nurse-specific solutions in line with the broader trends. 

Looking Ahead

The convergence of healthcare technology and workforce well-being initiatives offers hope for easing nurse burnout across Michigan. As Corewell’s AI-driven documentation tools free nurses to focus more on patient care, and Henry Ford leverages its broad digital infrastructure to target staffing and workflow challenges, the potential for meaningful improvement grows.

However, the ongoing labor disputes at both hospital systems show that technology alone cannot solve burnout. The prolonged strike at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital and the unfair labor practice charge filed by Corewell nurses highlight persistent challenges around staffing ratios, fair pay, workplace safety, and collective bargaining rights. These disputes remind us that addressing nurse burnout requires a holistic approach—marrying innovative technology with fair labor practices, supportive policies, and a culture that values nurses as essential caregivers and knowledge workers.

For Michigan nurses, or those considering working in the state, the question remains: How committed are employers to creating a sustainable, safe, and rewarding nursing environment? The answer will be found not only in advancements in technology but also in meaningful resolution of workforce concerns that have sparked these recent labor actions.

 

🤔 Nurses: do you think AI can help burnout? Let us know in the discussion forum below.