When U.S. employers face labor shortages, two questions often come up: Should we depend on the H-2B visa program or recruit directly from Puerto Rico? At Isla Talent, we specialize in connecting companies with skilled workers from Puerto Rico, and the difference couldn’t be clearer.

The United States is facing a critical nursing shortage, with healthcare systems across the country struggling to fill open positions. Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities are feeling the impact, and patient care is often stretched thin. While many organizations look overseas for talent, there is a strong, often overlooked solution much closer to home: Puerto Rico.

Last month, I had the chance to visit one of my childhood friends in Salt Lake City. We’ve known each other since we were kids from riding bikes around the neighborhood, to capture the flag to sharing our earliest entrepreneurial endeavors in our early twenties.

At Isla Talent, we’re excited to announce the newest addition to our team: Heather Hardinger, our Healthcare Talent Advisor and expert in nurse recruitment. Heather brings extensive experience in recruiting nurses from Puerto Rico and has a long history of successfully connecting Puerto Rican nursing professionals with hospitals across the United States.

The United States is facing a historic shortage of healthcare workers—especially nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country will need over 193,000 new registered nurses each year through 2032 to meet growing demand. From rural hospitals to urban clinics, healthcare systems are struggling to fill critical roles, impacting patient care and accelerating staff burnout.