December 6th- December 13th News

SC Medicaid plan: End adult dental, hospice care - According to Bloomberg, (13Dec2010), TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE. Scrutiny for third med school - According to the Post and Courier, (12Dec2010), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. First Citizens gives to ‘Miles of Smiles’ - According to the Cheraw Chronicle, (10Dec2010), "CareFIRST has been awarded $25,000.00 for the new "Miles of Smiles" portable dental program." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

December 1st - December 6th News

Local universities to share in $16 million federal grant - to the Post and Courier, (03Dec10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Three South Carolina Hospitals Consider Developing a Regional Health System - According to the beckershospitalreview.com, (06Dec21010), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Local universities to share in $16 million federal grant - According to the Post and Courier, (03Dec10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Healthcare Job Postings Up in November - According to Health Leaders Media, (02Dec10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

South University dedicates new pharmacy school in Columbia - According to The State, (02Dec10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

September News Website Postings

Expanding USC’s medical school won’t solve primary care problem - According to the Post and Courier, (13Sep10) TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

DHEC Working to Reduce Infant Mortality - According to WSPA News Channel 7, (23Sep10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

CGME Board Approves Final Duty Hour and Supervision Standards to Ensure Excellent Resident Education and Quality Patient Care - According to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), (28Sep10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Groundbreaking Report Calls for Transformational Change to Nursing Profession - According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (11Oct10), TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE.

October / November News Website postings

Healthcare Industry thrives in Grand Strand - According to WMBFNews.com, (05Nov10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

South Carolina DSS Receives $10 Million Dollar Grant to Train Clients for Healthcare Fields - According to South Carolina Department of Social Services, (02Nov10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Pilot program testing new way to treat patients - According to The State, (01Nov10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Optometrists, ophthalmologist don't see eye to eye on bill - According to GreenvilleOnline.com, (31Oct10), "Optometrists in South Carolina have pushed two bills to expand their scope of practice." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

The Road to Greater Good - According to SCHA Blog, (26Oct10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

August / September News

NIH awards $6.5 million grant to USC for health-disparities research, Claflin partnership

According to midlandsbiz.com (22Aug10), the National Institute of Health awarded a $6.7 million grant to the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

USC med school plan questioned

According to the Post and Courier, (31Aug10), the Greenville Hospital System has promised to contribute $35 million to the $39 million over seven to 10 years to help pay for the expansion. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Researchers Say Access to Primary Care Doesn’t Always Guarantee Better Health

According to Kaiser Health News, (09Sep10)TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Expanding USC’s medical school won’t solve primary care problem

According to the Post and Courier, (13Sep10) TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

DHEC Working to Reduce Infant Mortality

According to WSPA News Channel 7, (23Sep10), TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

MUSC dental program gets grant

According to the Post and Courier (26Sep10), “a federal grant worth $1.7 million will help the Medical University of South Carolina restart a graduate dental program who provides affordable treatment across South Carolina.” TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

June/ July News

IN THE NEWS

Anderson University moves to add nursing program

A story in GreenvilleOnline.com (6June10), Anderson University will be opening a new nursing school in 2012. The program will offer a 15 month accelerated curriculum once a student meets the general education requirements, resulting in a Bachelor of Science degree. Anderson University hopes this will help the state produce more nurses in the upstate. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Charleston Southern offers master’s program for nurses

According to the Post and Courier (14June10), a new masters program will be added to the list at Charleston Southern University (CSU). The nursing masters program will be offered online and provide aid to the state’s nursing shortage. CSU also added an online program for registered nurses in an effort to help RNs obtain a bachelors degree. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Education grants aim to bolster health-care ranks

According the Washington Post (13July10), the Department of Health and Human Services has provided hundreds of colleges and universities with $96 million in grant money to boost health-profession programs. The funds also focus on providing support to help diversify the health care workforce and increase minority representation. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Feds to Spend $144M to Train Health IT Workers

According to CIO.com (16July10), the federal government will be spending $144M to assist colleges and universities to train health IT workers. This grant money is part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009. The results plan to produce 50,000 trainees to assist rural hospitals and small practices by setting up electronic medical record systems. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Expanded Tax Relief on State Loan Repayment, Forgiveness Programs Benefits Physicians, Medically Underserved Individuals

According to aafp.org (27July10), in an effort to strengthen the healthcare workforce in underserved areas of the country, the federal government will be offering a tax relief for physicians who have been in enrolled in a loan repayment program in 16 states. This tax relief comes from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Provisions in Health Care Reform Law Lay Out Role of Primary Care, Family Physicians

According to aafp.org (28July10), primary care and family physicians will have an increased role when the new health care reform law takes affect. Three ways in which the roles will change are: an increase focus on preventive measures, rewarding positive doctor/patient relationships, and an increase in funding to family medicine residency programs. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Florence-Darlington Tech leads new training program in SC

According to SCnow.com (14, May) Florence-Darlington Tech will be the only school in South Carolina to educate health information technology professionals as part of a grant received from the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for the next two years. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Economy may impact nursing shortage -- positively"

According to Live 5 News (06 May 10), the recessed economy has saturated the waiting list for area nursing schools. Currently, potential nurses wait up to two years until enough resources are available before they can start training. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Back TTC Nursing Expansion"

According to an editorial article in the Post and Courier (03Apr10), Trident Technical College will require an expensive nursing expansion to accommodate the expected rise in nursing demand. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Helps Keep Dentists"

According to the Post and Courier (11Apr10), rural dentists have been taking advantage of a state student loan forgiveness program. With rising medical debt costs, the potential allure of repayment programs could have enormous potential to draw dentists and physicians into primary care in rural areas. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

" 'Reform' Overlooks Rising Shortages of Doctors, Nurses"

According to a column in the Post and Courier (03Apr10), the shortage of nurses and doctors is being brought front and center in the debate about health care delivery. For example, US nursing schools turned away nearly 50,000 qualified applicants based on faculty shortages, even though the US is expected to have a 260,000 nursing shortage by 2025. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Texas Tech Offers Quicker Degrees To Family Docs"

According to the Herald Online (24Mar10), Texas Tech University will soon be the first in the country to offer family doctors a three-year degree at half the cost of a traditional path. The plan was announced the same day President Obama signed the new health reform legislation, and the school hopes to double the number of students who enroll in family medicine programs. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Hawaii's Shortage of Doctors May Double or Triple Over Next Decade"

According to the Honolulu Advertiser (28Mar10), the state of Hawai'i is facing a severe physician deficit that is likely to worsen by two or three magnitudes in the next decade if unchecked. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"More Doctors Giving Up Private Practices"

According to the New York Times (25Mar10), the share of medical practices that are physician-owned has dropped below 50%, and analysts expect this decline to continue. Reasons cited include burdensome medical debts and flexibility in work hours. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"More US Medical School Seniors To Train as Family Medicine Residents"

According to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) (18Mar10), residency training in family programs increased by 9% over the course of 2009. This contrasts sharply with the year before, which saw a 7% decrease in medical school seniors placed in family medicine residencies. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Amid Calls for More Highly Educated Nurses, New AACN Data Show Impressive Growth in Doctoral Nursing Program"

According to a press release from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (04Mar10), students enrolling in nationwide nursing doctoral programs rose by 20% based on a 2009 annual survey. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"As Health Care Coverage Expands, Demand for Doctors Grows, Too"

According to GreenvilleOnline.com (28Mar10), the shortage of primary care physicians raises many implications for South Carolina with the passage of the new health care legislation. Nearly 1 million South Carolinians would be uninsured by 2014 without the bill; however, there is concern that the lack of primary care residencies, fewer incoming physicians and low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursals will all contribute to less access to primary care. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Study Investigates How Attitudes Affect Health Care for Growing Latino Population"

According to Clemson University Newsroom (31Mar10), the school has teamed up with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the University of South Carolina, and the Medical College of Georgia to study the attitudes of health providers toward the Latino patient population. The National Institute of Health has granted $219,000 toward this project, which is called "Provider Perceptions of Latino Patients in Cancer Care Settings". TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"McLeod Health Makes Donation to FDTC"

According to CarolinaLive.com (31Mar10), the nursing program at Florence Darlington Technical College received a $100,000 donation from McLeod Health for the nursing program. President of FDTC, Dr. Charles Gould, expects the next five years to double the number of nursing students at the school. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"Out With The Old"

According to The Post and Courier (22Mar10), the $153 million dollar new East Cooper Medical Center is waiting on a vote from the board of directors about whether to open the building. If approved, the facility will start transferring patients at 6AM on April 1. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

"UAB Clinical Laboratory Program Anticipates Boom in Career Opportunities"

According to US News and World Report and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions (dated 02Mar10), demand for clinical laboratory jobs will increase in the next decade. This is a 16% increase in job growth rates compared to the average job pool, and the fastest growth will be centered in the clinical, pathology and physician-office laboratories. To read more, CLICK HERE.

"Funds Sought for Nursing Building"

According to The Post and Courier (dated 08Mar10), the Charleston County Council has agreed to fund more than half of the Trident Technical College nursing expansion. In Fall 2010, 652 students were enrolled in Trident's nursing program, but the wait list has grown as large as 985 students. To read more, CLICK HERE.

"MUSC Expands Reach With Georgetown Agreement"

According to a report from Charleston Regional Business Journal (dated 26Feb10), the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Georgetown Hospital System have announced a formal affiliation between their systems, primarily to improve training programs for future health providers. To read more, CLICK HERE.

"Docs Cut Work Hours as Primary Care Shortage Looms"

According to an article from the New York Times (dated 23Feb10), the primary care shortage is highlighted in a new report from the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a nutshell, there has been nearly a 6% decline in physician work hours nationally from 1996 - 2008, and a decline in doctor compensation is a likely culprit. To read more, CLICK HERE.

"Coastal Carolina University to Add Nursing Program"

According to CarolinaLive.com (dated23Feb10), Coastal Carolina University, in conjunction with Horry Georgetown Technical College, is due to add a nursing bridge program. To read more, CLICK HERE.

"Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Could Help Fill Doctor Shortage"

According to GreenvilleOnline.com (dated 26Feb10), The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine has announced that their new Carolinas campus will be located in Spartanburg. According to an article in Greenville Online, the school is scheduled to graduate as many as 150 doctors annually, and expects some graduates to remain for their residencies. To read more, CLICK HERE.

First Post

Welcome to the new Office for Healthcare Workforce Analysis & Planning's news feed! We plan to update weekly with news pertaining to the important issues South Carolina faces in its healthcare workforce.