In times of heightened population health needs, the health workforce must respond quickly and efficiently, especially at the state level. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the needs for greater flexibility in scope of practice and interstate mobility areas of health workforce regulation. The lack of a coordinated national response early in the pandemic left the onus on states—particularly on state governors—to determine how to deploy their health workforce to combat COVID-19.

This article examines state governors’ executive orders related to 2 key health workforce flexibility issues—scope of practice and licensing—in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.