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HELP WANTED ... in health care
Georgia facing acute need in nursing, other fields
"It's currently a great time to go into health careers in Georgia. The needs are across the board, from physicians to medical assistants," said Anne Thompson, associate professor at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah and president of the Physical Therapy Association of Georgia. "Opportunities abound in rural areas.
The job selection is even wider in urban settings, and salaries are above average for college graduates."
Georgia's need for health care workers is critical. The Georgia Department of Labor projects that the state will need more than 140,000 new and replacement health care professionals by 2010, including nearly 30,000 registered nurses, more than 12,000 long-term direct care staff, 9,000 licensed practical nurses, 3,700 pharmacists and thousands of allied health professionals, such as occupational, physical and respiratory therapists.
Changing demographics tops the list of causes for Georgia's crisis. The U.S. population is growing and aging. People are living longer. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Georgia's population grew by 26.4 percent from 1990 to 2000, making it the 10th-most-populous state. The number of Georgians older than 80 increased by 34.2 percent during that period.
The health care work force is also aging, as are the faculty who train nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers. Many nursing programs are turning away students because of faculty and clinical-site shortages.
Shortages are even more acute in Georgia's rural areas. According to Rural Health Workforce data, 117 counties (mostly rural) are designated as medically underserved, 57 counties have no pediatricians, 72 have no obstetricians and 68 have no general surgeons. Advanced practice nurses -- nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and clinical nurse specialists -- are helping to fill the gaps in many underserved areas.
While there is no simple fix, state agencies and professional organizations have launched an array of strategies to recruit more workers into health care (expanded nursing programs, fast-track programs, scholarships, loan forgiveness) and to entice seasoned professionals to stay in the field (nursing re-entry programs, flexible schedules, improved workplace conditions). Partnerships between hospitals and nursing programs are enlarging the graduate pipeline, and bridge programs are making it easier for nurses to move to the next levels in their careers (such as from licensed practical nurse to registered nurse).
While the demand for nurses is greatest -- the U.S. Department of Labor projects 1 million needed in the nation in the next six years -- and has received much publicity, most allied health workers are facing increased demands for their services.
Occupational options
The Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center has published an online "Health Careers in Georgia" manual and other educational resources geared toward helping young people and second-career-seekers explore the myriad of choices in health care occupations.
"AHEC has been very helpful in informing people about all the different health professions and getting middle and high school students to prepare by beefing up their science courses," Thompson said.
An uncle with rheumatoid arthritis who valued the help of his physical therapist encouraged Thompson to look at the profession.
"I wouldn't have done it for 27 years if I didn't enjoy it and feel like it's worth doing," she said.
Trained at the doctorate level now in Georgia, physical therapists work with all age groups -- from infants in hospitals to children and adults in rehabilitation and sports clinics, home health agencies and nursing facilities.
"With more people valuing and needing physical therapy and enough seats in classrooms for qualified applicants, it's one of the best times to come into the profession," she said.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, by 2012, physical therapist jobs will grow by 35 percent, physical therapy assistants by 45 percent and physical therapy aides by 46 percent.
"People always think of becoming a nurse or doctor, but there's so much else you can do in health care. We just have to get the word out," Thompson said.
'Skills for living'
Debi Hinerfeld, an occupational therapist at the Atlanta Speech School and president of the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association, agreed. "We care for people from birth to death in educational, medical, work and home settings. Occupational therapists are creative problem-solvers," she said.
"It's unbelievable the variety of services they offer for people with both physical disabilities and psychiatric conditions," said Chris Bosonetto-Doane, a registered and licensed occupational therapist and CEO of Advanced Rehabilitation Services Inc., which provides occupational, physical and speech therapy staffing.
Occupational therapists interpret "occupational" skills broadly as "skills for living." They help someone recover from a stroke, manage a psychiatric condition or work around a physical disability in order to lead a fuller life. The profession, which recently made Money magazine's 50 Top Jobs in America list, is projected to grow by nearly 34 percent.
HEALTH CAREER RESOURCES |
"With people living longer and more babies being saved, the need for physical and occupational therapists is growing," Bosonetto-Doane said.
According to the Georgia Labor Department's Employment Projections to 2012 report, eight other health care jobs are among Georgia's 20 fastest-growing occupations: medical assistants, dental hygienists, dental assistants, physician assistants, medical records and health information technicians, home health aids, respiratory therapists and surgical technologists.
"Doctor's office managers are continually calling for our medical assistant students, and some get hired straight out of their externships," said Jackie Adair, medical assisting program director at Chattahoochee Technical College.
The school's yearlong diploma program prepares students with business skills and some clinical skills.
By the time surgical-tech students graduate from the Chattahoochee Technical College diploma program, they've put in 720 hours of clinical practice and are weighing job offers.
"Most can't wait to work. They like the excitement of doing something different every day and knowing that they're an important part of the operating room team," said Lorraine Wilderman, lead instructor.
Giving breath
"If someone can't breathe, nothing else matters," said Cynthia Alexander, chief therapist and head of the respiratory care services department at Grady Health System. Respiratory therapists help people breathe when they can't because of illness or injury.
Grady, like other hospitals, is competing for a small pool of respiratory therapists who are stretched among hospitals, heart catheterization labs, sleep medicine clinics and other settings. The American Association for Respiratory Care calculated 6,500 vacant positions nationally in 2000.
"The demand for respiratory therapists is on the rise because of the increase in asthma and COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema] patients. By 2020, COPD is predicted to be the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.," said Sandra Jacobs, clinical specialist at Grady.
Breathing issues associated with aging also contribute to the need for respiratory therapists, Alexander added.
Looking inside
The demand for radiological technologists keeps growing, thanks to a higher volume of patients and the invention of more sophisticated technology that enables physicians to see the body's interior workings and diagnose diseases without invasive methods of testing. New interventional procedures even can eliminate the need for some surgeries.
"Imaging is a part of every medical specialty and supports every area of the hospital," said Randy Sprinkle, administrative director for radiology services at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.
Advanced specialties (CT scanners and interventional technologists) are the hardest to fill in urban areas, while rural areas need more ultrasound and nuclear medicine-trained technologists. Nationally, job vacancy rates range from 10 percent to 20 percent.
"People get into the field because they care about patients and find they never stop learning. It's constantly evolving, so there's never a dull moment," said Timothy J. Lacny, director of operations, radiology medical imaging services at Piedmont Hospital.
A proliferation of community drugstores and outpatient settings, coupled with aging patients who need more medications, have created heavy shortages of pharmacists in the South, according to George Bachman, director of prescription pharmacy services at Grady Health System.
Pharmacy schools can't keep pace, but, fortunately, the profession is getting help from new pharmacy-tech programs and automated technology. Four robots at Grady help fill prescriptions, but they can't replace pharmacists when it comes to helping patients.
"As a pharmacist, you have the satisfaction of being a true patient advocate and knowing you can make a difference in someone's life," Bachman said.
"So many facets of health care -- hospitals, pharmacies, long-term care, academia, industry and consulting firms -- need the knowledge of pharmacists. The job opportunities are enormous."
