Northeast Ohio Healthcare Sector Offers Strong Employment Prospects A Trove of Opportunity:

The Larger Healthcare Industry Organizations that: ◦ Employ 149,000 people in Northeast Ohio ◦ Provide direct healthcare services  Hospitals, physician offices, outpatient centers ◦ Provide healthcare support products & services  Laboratories, pharmacies, healthcare equipment & supply manufacturing Hospitals: ◦ Employ half of the healthcare workforce

Hospital Workforce Characteristics Variety of Occupations ◦ Professional (e.g. nurses, pharmacists) ◦ Management (e.g. health services managers) ◦ Service (e.g. environmental service workers) ◦ Administrative (e.g. billing clerks) Wide Range of Educational Attainment ◦ Some have no formal education (e.g. psychiatric aids) ◦ Some have extensive education (e.g. physicians & pharmacists)

Hospital Workforce Characteristics (Cont’d) Salary Range ◦ Most jobs fall in the lower or higher salary ranges with fewer falling in the mid-salary range Age ◦ Healthcare industry workers tend to be older than the those in other industries ◦ More than 25% between 45-55: Psychologists, medical & health services managers, counselors, speech-language pathologists, LPNs, and RNs

Hospital Workforce Characteristics (Cont’d) Career Outlook ◦ Healthcare industry expecting growth ◦ Healthcare includes seven of the 20 fastest growing jobs ◦ In Ohio home health aides, physician assistants, medical assistants and medical sonographers among fastest growing of all occupations

Workforce Supply & Demand Worker shortages could lead to: ◦ Overcrowded emergency departments ◦ Long wait times ◦ Ambulance diversion ◦ Limits on bed capacity ◦ Heavy workloads for existing staff ◦ Poor morale

Nurses in Short Supply Evidence of Nursing Shortage: ◦ In the U.S.→ 1.2 million by 2014 ◦ In Ohio →32,000 ◦ CHA Members→ RN vacancy rate of 7.1 Factors Contributing to Shortage: ◦ Aging population ◦ Medical advancements ◦ Growing number of nurses nearing retirement ◦ Insufficient educational infrastructure ◦ Too few nurse educators

Additional Workforce Imbalances Allied Health Shortages in Northeast Ohio: ◦ Physical Therapists ◦ Physical Therapist Assistants ◦ Pharmacists ◦ Cardiovascular Technologists / Technicians ◦ Diagnostic Medical Sonographers ◦ Occupational Therapists ◦ Medical Records/ Health Information Technicians ◦ Occupational Therapist Assistants

Factors Shaping Northeast Ohio Workforce Economic Downturn ◦ Consequences for Hospitals  Open positions easier to fill  Leaving vacant positions unfilled  Hiring freezes  Lay offs ◦ Secondary Consequences  Adjustments simply reflect decreased demand  Long wait time / limited bed capacity  Cessation of efforts to expand workforce

Factors Shaping Northeast Ohio Workforce (cont’d) Public Policy ◦ SECTORS (Strengthening Employment Cluster to Organize Regional Success Act)  Targets industry sectors with high demand for workers  Collaboration among stakeholders to create targeted training programs  Allows for regional collaboration

Factors Shaping Northeast Ohio Workforce (cont’d) Public Policy (cont’d) ◦ ARRA (American Recovery & Reinvestment Act)  Economic stimulus bill intended to bolster consumption by citizens, businesses & communities  Increases funds for workforce development by $4 billion  Some ARRA funds still available and could be directed toward workforce initiatives

Factors Shaping Northeast Ohio Workforce (cont’d) Public Policy (cont’d) ◦ Health Coverage Expansions  Two Possible Scenarios:  Decrease in demand for hospital workers  Increase in demand for hospital workers  Massachusetts as an example  Routine preventive care visits up by 6%  Increase in unmet healthcare needs also reported

What More Can Stakeholders Do? Educators ◦ Ensure strong core curricula including math, science and technology literacy ◦ Inspire youth to available careers Hospitals ◦ Make every effort to serve as a training site to reduce the bottleneck created by clinical training ◦ Communicate workforce needs to community, educators and other stakeholders

What More Can Stakeholders Do? (cont’d) Lawmakers ◦ Match training to workforce needs ◦ Recognize and plan for workforce changes that could result from health reform ◦ Aim to increase the number of primary care physicians