Allied Health Workforce Shortages

Sally Whitten, M.Ed., PTCentral Piedmont Community College

Who are Allied Health Professionals?

All non-physician, non-nursing health care providers

Represent over 200 professional fields

Allied health professionals outnumber physicians and nurses more than two to one

Examples: Dentists, dental hygienists,

dental assistants Physical, occupational, and

respiratory therapists PT and OT assistants Speech-language

pathologists and assistants Audiologists Cytotechnologists Med. Technologists and

Med. Laboratory Technicians

Medical Sonographers

Medical Assistants Pharmacists and

Pharmacy Technicians Cardiovascular

Technologists Dieticians and Dietetic

Technicians Surgical Technologists Physician Assistants Radiation Therapists Radiologic Technologists Health Information

Technologists

Current Identified Shortages

NC Hospital Association 2006 Hospital Workforce Study Pharmacists Laboratory Technicians Physical/Occupational Therapists PT Assistant Respiratory Therapists Radiology Technicians Surgical Technicians Health Information Specialists

Current Shortages, continued

Community College Survey Radiologic Technologists Respiratory Therapists Medical Assistants Pharmacy Technicians Dentists Imaging (CAT scan / MRI)

Projections US Bureau of Labor

Statistics Projections of Percent Increase in Employment between 2002 and 2012

Medical Assistants (63.2%)

Physician Assistants (54.1%)

Medical Records and Health Information Technicians (51.9%)

Occupational and Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides (46.5%)

Dental Hygienists (43.5%) Dental Assistants (43.4%) Occupational Therapists

(42.3%) Physical Therapists

(38.3%) Respiratory Therapists

(35.1%) Pharmacists (21.1%) Clinical Laboratory

Technologists and Technicians (20.7%)

Factors Contributing to Shortage

Advances in treatment and diagnosis Improved survival rates after trauma and serious illness Increased acuity of patient illness in hospitals Population growth Increased population among older Americans who

require more healthcare intervention Changes in settings where care is administered (home

healthcare, outpatient treatment centers, etc.) Changes in staffing patterns to control personnel costs Specific shortages may arise in response to government-

mandated reimbursement requirements (coding, for example)

Maldistribution of healthcare practitioners geographically Visibility issues

What Community Colleges are Doing

Programs Offered (handout) Attempts to add additional programs

and expand programs Collaborative agreements between

colleges http://www.ncccs.cc.nc.us/Programs/doc

s/Education-Catalog/2007Chart.pdf.

Suggested Approaches to Address Shortages

Continued, more extensive collaborations between colleges

Collaboration between colleges and healthcare providing institutions

Federal government support for Allied Health Education

Guidelines for Advising Prospective Students Academic Readiness Essential

Math Reading/English Science

Highly structured programs Costs beyond tuition Dependable transportation required Professional demeanor is modeled and

is expected

The Rewards

Job Security Professional Growth Opportunities Healthcare Professional Personally and Emotionally

Rewarding

Questions?