American College of Healthcare Executives

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Approved by the Board of Governors Dec. 8, 2025

Statement of the Issue

Today’s healthcare workforce spans five generations. In 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 87% of those working in hospitals and health services were 25 to 64 years of age, while about 6% were 65 years old or older, and 6.4% were 24 years old or younger.

Healthcare employers and employees must acknowledge the challenges and opportunities these demographics represent. One of those challenges is overcoming unsubstantiated negative stereotypes based on age concerning attitudes, performance, knowledge, physiological capacity, and ability to learn new techniques and skills. As people live longer, the number of older adults interested in and able to contribute to the workforce in meaningful ways past the traditional retirement age continues to grow. With the increasing demand for qualified clinical and nonclinical healthcare professionals, an opportunity for employers is to use the extensive skills, perspectives and experiences of workers of all ages.  

In 1967, the federal government enacted the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Its purpose is to protect and promote the employment opportunities of older workers and help find solutions to age-related employment problems. Healthcare organizations will engender more positive regard and support from their key stakeholders by striving to embrace the spirit and the letter of the law. In addition, for healthcare organizations to be well-positioned to respond to the needs of age-diverse patients and other stakeholders, they are best served by the individual and collective skills of an age-diverse workforce.

Policy Position

The American College of Healthcare Executives encourages healthcare executives and their organizations to employ individuals without regard to their age. While overt discrimination against employment of healthcare executives on the basis of age is illegal and subject to sanction under federal law, even covert discrimination against the employment of older healthcare executives is incompatible with ACHE's Code of Ethics.

Executive employment decisions are becoming increasingly complex as organizations respond to demands for changing leadership and management skills, for healthcare leadership to reflect the population served, and for ensuring workforce diversity and a culture that supports inclusion. ACHE encourages all healthcare executives and the organizations they represent to pursue the following:

• Employers should direct executive recruiters to identify and present candidates for senior-level positions irrespective of their age, and executive recruiters should suggest their clients consider candidates for positions irrespective of their age.
• CEOs, directors and recruitment and retention decision makers should avoid stereotypes based on age and actively recruit talented executives for consideration.
• CEOs and directors of healthcare organizations should establish human resources plans that provide for leadership succession and relevant, ongoing continuing education for executives of all ages.
• CEOs and HR executives should work to align policies and benefits to the needs of the multiple dimensions of the workforce by establishing a welcoming culture.
• Serve as a role model, sponsor, coach and mentor as appropriate to other executives. At the same time, accept mentoring from other executives to foster cross-generational collaboration, learning and understanding of the mutual benefits of teamwork.
• Assume responsibility for continuously developing and maintaining relevant leadership, management and technology skills so they can contribute value to employing organizations in environments that continually change (e.g., coaching provided virtually for organizations needing specific skillsets during times of turnover and staffing shortages).
• Counter potential age bias by gathering the perspectives of a variety of stakeholders and highlighting achievements, skills, breadth of knowledge and lessons learned from successes and failures.
• Interact with colleagues of all generations and remain involved in professional associations at the national and local level by sharing knowledge and supporting the communities served.
• Create a culture that respects contributions and ideas from all individuals, regardless of age.

Healthcare will continue to be regarded as a dynamic sector of the economy—one that not only offers the prospect of employment, but also the opportunity to make important social contributions. Leaders in this field have an ethical responsibility to select and retain executives who can foster inclusion and advance health.

Policy created: May 1992
Policy updated: December 2025

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