In the news

The Impact of Health Information Technology And e-Health on the Future Demand For Physician Services  - In the June, 2015 edition of Health Affairs, Weiner et. al. explore how health information technology (IT) and electronic health (e-health) applications might affect the future demand for physicians. They estimate that if health IT were fully implemented in just 30% of community-based physicians’ offices, the demand for physicians would be reduced by about 4–9%. Delegation of care to nurse practitioners and physician assistants supported by health IT could reduce the future demand for physicians by 4–7%. Similarly, IT-supported delegation from specialist physicians to generalists could reduce the demand for specialists by 2–5%. The use of health IT could also help address regional shortages of physicians by potentially enabling 12% of care to be delivered remotely or asynchronously. To read more click here

 

Who Cares For Older Adults? Workforce Implications of an Aging Society  - There is a critical shortage of geriatrics-prepared health care professionals. Yet 58% of baccalaureate nursing programs have no full-time faculty certified in geriatric nursing. Only three of the nation’s 145 medical schools have geriatrics departments, and less than 10% of these require a geriatrics course. A recent article by Kovner et. al. argues that every health care worker must have some education in geriatrics and access to geriatrics care experts. To read more click here

 

Future Demand for Long Term Care Workers Will be Influenced By Demographic and Utilization Changes  - A looming question for policy makers is how growing diversity in the US elderly population and greater use of home and community-based services will affect demand for long-term care workers. A recent study by Spetz et. al. in the June, 2015 edition of Health Affairs finds that, if current trends continue, the occupations anticipated to grow the most by 2030 are counselors and social workers (94%), community and social services workers (93%), and home health and personal care aides (88%). To read more click here

In the News

SC County EMS Tries to Ease Workload of 24-Hour Shifts? - According to JEMS.com, on February 28, 2015, “Charleston County EMS schedule switch brings some praise and some grumbling. Other agencies such as Berkeley, Dorchester struggle with fatigue, weigh possible changes.”TO READ MORE click here Even in Nursing, No Equal Pay for Women - According to Reuters, on March 24, 2015, “Even though nine out of 10 nurses are women, men in the profession earn higher salaries, and the pay gap has remained constant over the past quarter century, a study finds.” TO READ MORE click here

In the News

Medicaid Patients Struggle to Get Dental Care - According to USA Today, on February 15, 2015, “’Translating Medicaid coverage into care is a significant problem,’ said David Jordan, who directs the dental access project at Community Catalyst, a national consumer advocacy group based in Boston. ‘The number of adults on Medicaid who are able to see a dentist is woefully short of where it needs to be.’” TO READ MORE click here Who is the Dental Board Serving? - According to rdhmag.com, on February 13, 2015, “Almost all dental boards in the United States develop standards of professional conduct, including continuing education requirements to maintain a high level of integrity and performance in the practice of dentistry. However, according to FTC records a number of regulating dental boards have overstepped their authority by making decisions not to "protect the public," but to protect the special interest group they represent.”TO READ MORE click here

In the News

Nurses Take on New and Expanded Roles in Health Care- According to RWFJ.org, on January 20, 2015, “Today, the venerable Boston hospital is testing out another innovation, but this time it’s in the field of nursing. When a patient arrives at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) now, he or she is assigned an attending registered nurse (ARN) for the duration of the hospital stay and after discharge. The ARN builds a relationship with the patient and his or her caregivers, and ensures that all members of the patient’s health care team follow a shared care plan. Unlike other RNs, ARNs are designed to promote continuity of care, ideally with a five-day, eight-hour work schedule.”TO READ MORE click here Grand Strand Medical Center Partners with USC Schools of Medicine to Launch Residency Program - According to MyHorryNews.com, on January 20, 2015, “Grand Strand Medical Center will soon begin offering something available in only a handful of communities. Hospital officials announced that it has entered into an affiliation agreement with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. The agreement expands clinical training for USC medical students and establishes two medical residency programs at Grand Strand Medical Center.”TO READ MORE click here Need Medical Care? Area Relies on Technical College of the Lowcountry Grads - According to Savannah Morning News, on January 25, 2015, “The Technical College of the Lowcountry’s high placement rate puts the school among the top three institutions in South Carolina’s 16-school technical college system.” TO READ MORE click here

In the News

How Nurses Can Help Low-Income Mothers and Kids - According to The Atlantic, on January 14, 2015, “The Nurse Family Partnership coaches poor first-time moms on parenting and life skills from pregnancy through the toddler years.” TO READ MORE click here

In the News

Nurse Staffing Levels and Quality of Care in Rural Nursing Homes - “The University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center has released their study of Nurse Staffing Levels and Quality of Care in Rural Nursing Homes. Their findings show that a higher percentage of Registered Nurses in the nursing staff mix was associated with better care quality in both rural hospital-based and freestanding nursing homes.” TO READ MORE click here

Proposal Seeks to Draw Medical Residents to Rural Nebraska - According to the Miami Herald on January 13, 2015, “Medical residents who work in under-served parts of Nebraska could receive up to $120,000 in loan repayments under a new bill in the Legislature... The bill would let residents receive up to $40,000 a year in reimbursement, up to a maximum of $120,000. Residents would have to be enrolled or accepted into an approved medical specialty program in Nebraska.”TO READ MORE click here