News for April 18 - April 25 2012

In the News

Pharmacists included in loan repayment program - According to the American Pharmacy Assoication, (24April2012), "Pharmacists are now included in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP), which gives grants to states to operate their own loan repayment programs for primary care providers in medically underserved areas." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Four-Year Degree Becoming A Must for Nursing Candidates- According to the Ledger.com, (22April2012), "Employers and nursing schools are working to meet a recommendation by the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, that 80 percent of registered nurses have bachelor's degrees by 2020." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Nursing School Enrollment Up; Faculty and Facility Constraints Persist - According to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (19April2012), "Nursing schools were forced to turn away more than 75,000 qualified applications, primarily because they lacked the teaching faculty and facilities." TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE.

News for April 10th -17th 2012

In the News

Health Care Jobs Will Grow Twice as Fast as General Economy, Study Says - According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (17April2012), "By 2020, nearly one in nine jobs in the United States will be in the health care sector, according to new research from the Center for Health Workforce Studies. The largest job growth is expected among RNs, home health aides, and personal care aides." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. US Department of Labor launches Virtual Career Network to highlight job opportunities and training in health care - According to the US Department of Labor news release, (16April2012), "The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a new online tool that will allow current and prospective health care workers to explore more than 80 different occupations, identify local education and training programs, and tap into current job listings." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Healthcare Jobs Activity Surging on Social Media - According to Health Leaders Media, (13April2012), "A recent survey, finds that people employed in healthcare have increased their use of social media to look for jobs, apply for new positions and network with colleagues." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for April 3rd -11th 2012

In the News

Bamberg hospital to close April 30 - According to the Times and Democrat, (10April2012), "Bamberg Hospital will be closing, plans are on tap for an urgent care clinic, along with other services, to be operated by Barnwell County Hospital at the current Bamberg County Hospital located in Bamberg." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Doctors turning to assistants for primary care - According to the ctpost.com (10Arpil2012), "As the physician shortage worsens, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are increasingly asked to step in." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Health Care Hiring Boom Projected To Continue, Regardless Of Law - According to Kaiser Health News, (06April2012), "Health-care employment will continue to grow much faster than employment generally, with the number of jobs in home care and other ambulatory settings projected to jump more than 40 percent by 2020." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for March 29 to April 3 2012

In the News

Strong Demand - Technology is playing an increasing role in nursing practice and education - According to Advance for Nurses, (02April2012), "The market for nurses with BSNs and those advancing their education are strong. Highly educated and diverse nurses with BSN, master's and doctorate nursing degrees with skill beyond traditional functional discipline prove to be in demand." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Student loan repayment program unlocks doors for FNP - According Nurse.com, (02April2012), "The National Health Service Corps. is offering fully trained family nurse practitioners and other primary care health professionals an initial, tax-free loan repayment award of up to $60,000 in exchange for two years of working in communities with a shortage of primary healthcare professionals." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. SC Jobless Rate Falls For Seventh Straight Month - According the Street, (30March2012), "Some of the biggest gains came in Health care and social assistance jobs that went up by 3,200." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for March 20 to March 29 2012

In the News

USC medical school student could work in Florence - According the State, (28March2012), "Officials from Francis Marion University, McLeod Regional Medical Center and the Carolinas Hospital System are pondering a plan that would bring third- and fourth-year medical students from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine to study in Florence beginning in 2014." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. ‘Medical home’ care takes off - According the State, (25March2012), "BlueCross is planning a medical home project in the Midlands that will involve eight of Palmetto Health’s physician practices. An estimated 3,000 patients at those practices with diabetes, congestive heart failure and/or high blood pressure will get the special attention referred to as a patient-centered medical home." TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE. FMU helps healthcare shortage, offers new nursing programs - According to WMBF News, (21March2012), "Francis Marion University plans to offer new science degrees in nursing and pharmaceutical studies to bring more practitioners to the rural areas of the Pee Dee." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

In the News

Nursing: Where the Jobs Are - According the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (20March2012), "The latest BLS report showed for RNs the highest earnings and employment rates were: hospitals 57.3%, home health care nursing care facilities, or outpatient care 14%, physician offices are at 8.7% and the remaining jobs are divided among a variety of government and academic organizations. These high rates are also regional, although most nurses tend to stay close to home finding jobs within 40 miles of where they went to high school. AACN data shows that more than 500 baccalaureate nursing programs turned away 51,082 qualified applicants in 2011 due to a shortage of clinical placement sites, faculty, and funding." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Health Care Jobs Up: The Future is on the Frontline - According the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (20March2012), "Employers need health care workers at every level of the industry, but improvements in training are needed to fuel the pipeline. Cuts to education have made it difficult to obtain the training needed to take advantage of new opportunities especially for frontline and allied health care workers. Some suggest that hospitals and other health care institutions can share part of the cost of training these workers. This idea has been difficult do the state of the economy, retired nurses coming back into the workforce and those who planned retirement staying on longer at a hospital." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Where the Jobs Are, the Training May Not Be - According to the NY Times, (01March2012), "Public colleges have raised tuition and are now resorting to even more desperate measures - cutting training for jobs the economy needs most. Nursing program applicants so outnumber available slots that there is a waiting list just to get on the waiting list. Other problems include classes getting bigger, tenured faculty members are replaced with adjuncts and technical courses are sacrificed." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for March 8th to March 13th 2012

In the News

New Richland 1 magnet aims to spark interest in health industry - According to the State, (13March2012), "C.A. Johnson High School is partnering with local hospitals, colleges and organizations to prepare Richland 1 students for careers in health science, health administration, food science and dietetics, biomedical research, and sports and fitness management." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Medical Schools For Primary Care: U.S. News Releases Top 10 Ranking - According to the HUFF POST Healthy Living, (13March2012), "Job prospects in healthcare are among the brightest anywhere, especially primary care. There are openings at every level, from home health aide and medical technician to highly specialized physician. But primary care practitioners are particularly hot." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Healthcare Job Growth Accelerating - According to the Health Leaders Media, (12March2012), "The healthcare sector has been strong in the first two months of 2012, accounting for one in five new jobs in the overall economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 49,000 jobs were created in February, including 28,200 jobs in ambulatory services, and 15,400 jobs in hospitals." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for March 1st through March 8th 2012

In the News

Charleston Southern University expands nursing program - According to the Charleston Regional Business Journal, (08March2012), "Charleston Southern University is tripling enrollments to its nursing school, the university announced Wednesday. The University will expand enrollment to 120 by 2014. The last expansion came in 2007, when the university boosted its school from 30 to 40 students." TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces New Program to Help Primary Care Practices Use Their Workforce More Effectively - According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (07March2012), "The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is teaming with the Group Health Research Institute on a national program designed to identify creative practices that make primary care more efficient and effective. The Primary Care Team: Learning from Effective Ambulatory Practices (the LEAP Project) will identify primary care practices that use health professionals and other staff in ways that maximize access to their services, so these workforce models can be replicated and adopted more widely." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. FMU to establish new degree programs - According to SCNow.com, (02March2012), Francis Marion University's Board of Directors approved resolutions to establish a master of science in nursing/nurse educator degree program and one a bachelor of science in pharmaceutical studies degree program." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for February 19-25 2012

In the News

Grant gives kids a doctor at school - According to ABC News 4 Charleston, (25February2012), "Charleston County school district received a grant that will set up pediatric health clinics at four local elementary schools. The new health clinics will serve about 1,700 students." TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE.

News February 23, 2012

In the News

Novant creating 150 jobs in Fort Mill - According to The HeraldOnline.com, (23February2012), "Novant Health is looking to hire 150 people with clinical and computer experience by the end of March as it creates a seamless electronic record linking system hospitals to its physician offices, labs, billing offices and patients." TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE.

News for February 15- February 22, 2012

In the News

A push to train more primary-care doctors - According to the LA Times, (19February2012), "The U.S. is failing to produce enough family doctors to meet current and future needs new medical schools are opening with an emphasis on primary care and others are changing their curricula to boost the number of graduates interested in the field. Medical school professors are pairing students with family doctors and assigning them to community clinics so they see firsthand what it's like to practice preventive care and manage chronic diseases." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. 8 trends for a changing healthcare workforce - According to Healthcare IT news, (17February2012), "The retirement of the baby boomer generation, shortage of skilled health IT professionals, impending trend of significant turnover, and the changing future of healthcare leadership" are some of the trends on the list of eight. TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announces major progress in doctors, hospital use of health information technology - According to HHS.gov, (17February2012), "The number of health IT jobs across the country is expected to increase by 20 percent from 2008 to 2018, a pace much faster than the average for all occupations through 2018."TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

In the News

NHSC awards $9.1M to place physicians in medically underserved communities - According to Healthcare Finance News, (14February2012), "The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) awarded $9.1 million in funding to 77 medical students in 30 States and the District of Columbia who will serve as primary care doctors in medically underserved areas and help strengthen the health care workforce." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE. Ambulatory setting expected to provide more job growth than hospitals - According to Anmednews.com, (13February2012), "Experts predict job creation in the ambulatory setting will be a response to the demands of an aging population and reform legislation that would mean a greater proportion of payment based on quality of care and more patients kept out of the hospital." TO READ MORE,CLICK HERE. Applications flood Greenville med school - According to GreenvilleOnline.com, (07February2012), "Nearly 1,500 students have applied for the 50 slots available at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville. Prior to the medical education expansion, USC Columbia turned away 110 applicants a year." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for February 1st - February 7 2012

Healthcare Continues Strong Job Growth- http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/HR-276170/Healthcare-Continues-Strong-Job-Growth

Coordinate S.C. colleges - http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/06/coordinate-sc-colleges/

Primary care physicians increasingly rare - http://poststar.com/news/local/primary-care-physicians-increasingly-rare/article_ad337502-4fac-11e1-9674-0019bb2963f4.html

News for January 26- January 31 2012

In the News

$2.2 million grant to help bring health care to poor - According to the State, (31January2012), "A $2.2 million federal grant will allow the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center to extend its hours later in the day and on the weekends, provide more services at homeless centers and expand much-needed dental, pharmaceutical and mental health care for the poor.", TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Why heart doctors are leaving practice to work for hospitals - According to Philly.com, (27January2012), "Insecurity about falling insurance payments and the impact of impending health-care changes are driving droves of cardiologists - among the highest-paid doctors - to leave private practice and become hospital employees." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Office for Healthcare Workforce: News for January 19th -25th 2012

How states are keeping doctors from moving out-
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/12/19/prl11219.htm

Enhanced medical training geared toward wounded vets
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20120118/NEWS/301180024/Enhanced-medical-training-geared-toward-wounded-vets

Denmark to get hospital- http://thetandd.com/topnews/denmark-to-get-hospital/article_798c0ec6-4714-11e1-8a4e-0019bb2963f4.html

Office for Healthcare Workforce: News for January 19th -25th 2012

Office for Healthcare Workforce: News for January 19th -25th 2012

News for January 19th -25th 2012

In the News
Denmark to get hospital - According to the TandD.com, (25January2012), "The new regional hospital for Bamberg and Barnwell counties site will be within 10 to 12 minutes travel time for 80 percent of the population of the two counties." TO READ MORE,

Enhanced medical training geared toward wounded vets - According to GreenvilleOnline.com "The Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine have committed to improve medical education, research and clinical care for veterans and their families. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine, including its Greenville campus, and more than 100 other medical schools around the country have been enlisted to enhance training around conditions these veterans suffer." TO READ MORE,

How states are keeping doctors from moving out - According to Anmednews.com, (19December2011), In 2010, a total of 7,343 physicians completed their Graduate Medical Education program in South Carolina, with 3,393 remaining to practice in-state. Nationally, South Carolina ranked 23rd with a retention of 46.2%. TO READ MORE,

News for January 10 - 18 2012

In the News
Medical Society of South Carolina creates new scholarship at MUSC - According to ABC 4 news Charleston, (17January2012), "The Medical Society of South Carolina established the Roper St. Francis Physicians Scholars Fund, a new scholarship fund to benefit doctors-in-training at the Medical University of South Carolina."

State agency seeks more funds for Medicaid - According to Greenville Online.com, (15January2012), "The state’s Medicaid rolls grew 7 percent to 1,007,408 beneficiaries between 2007 and 2011, largely because people lost their health insurance along with their jobs in the recession, according to DHHS. Last year alone, the rolls grew by 5 percent."

Deal's priority: Keeping doctors in Georgia - According to Georgia Health News, (10January2012), "Gov. Nathan Deal said Tuesday that his proposed budget would fund 400 new residency training slots in hospitals across the state for graduates of Georgia medical schools." http://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2012/01/deals-priority-keeping-doctors-georgia/

News for January 3 - 10 2012

In the News

Healthcare workforce growth seen in key labor markets - According to Healthcare Finance News, (10January2012), Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord areas in North and South Carolina were 3rd in top 10 metro areas for Q4 2011 healthcare workforce demand. "The strength in the U.S. healthcare labor markets rebounded notably, posting its highest value since the middle of 2010." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

Health-Care Sector Adds Jobs as Overall Employment Picture Looks Healthier - According to the Wall Street Journal, (06January2012), "The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that hospitals added 9,800 jobs, Ambulatory health-care services added a net 11,300 jobs as doctors’ offices, outpatient care centers and home-health services all added positions in December." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

News for December 27, 2011 through January 3, 2012

Advanced ICU Care(R) Brings New Standard of Around-the-Clock Monitoring to Intensive Care Patients at Tuomey Healthcare System - According to Market Watch, (03January2012), "By April 2012, Tuomey Healthcare System's will have intensivist physicians and critical care specialists 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and enhance patient safety. The current serious shortage of intensivist physicians means that many hospitals cannot provide the recommended coverage within their facilities. Advanced ICU Care answers the call by providing a solution that involves board-certified intensivists, telemedicine and best practices that maximize the effectiveness of a hospital's ICU." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

'A bleak outlook': Funding, retention among issues influencing medical service availability - According to the Times and Democrat, (03January2012), "Retaining physicians while keeping health care costs down amid soaring elderly and disabled populations remains a juggling act." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

New medical office to open this year in Murrells Inlet - According to the Myrtle Beach Online, (02January2012), "The 90,000-square-foot, three-story Waccamaw Medical Park West will house a variety of specialists, including pain management, physical therapy, endoscopy and, for the first time at Waccamaw, neurosurgeons – specialists that come through a growing partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina. The goal is to make it easier for patients to see multiple doctors under one roof." TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.