1. New 2003 survey of health
professions programs coming soon
2. Here comes the judge - and it
could be you
3. Health literacy named "top
priority" by Institute of Medicine
4. Reader response: Respiratory
therapist shortage "confounding"
5. Log on now to health care workforce
study
6. Health information management
faces workforce challenges
7. Nerve conduction studies technologist
is "Allied Health Profession of the
Month"
8. California allied workforce data
available soon
9. Society for the Arts in Healthcare
to meet in San Diego
10. More news, notes, and nattering...
1. New 2003 survey of health professions
programs coming soon
The 2003 version of the Annual Survey of Health Professions
Education Programs will be available by mid-April. This survey
will collect data for the 2002-2003 academic year.
Last year's survey, as you may recall, was our first Internet-based
survey, and was reasonably successful
considering the many technical challenges and the shortened
time frame, with the survey out in late August rather than
mid-April, our usual target.
Watch your e-mail inbox in April for login ID, password,
and completion instructions.
The survey will be available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/go/hpsurvey
2. Here comes the judge - and it could
be you
26th Annual HOSA National Leadership Conference
June 18-21, 2003
Atlanta, Georgia
Adult professionals with a variety of skills and experiences
are needed to serve as event judges at the annual conference
of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America). Judges are
needed for many events, including medical spelling, medical
assisting, dental assisting, medical laboratory assisting,
and
physical therapy.
Student members of HOSA work to develop their knowledge and
skills through competitive events and networking with professionals
in the health care community.
This conference provides health care professionals an opportunity
to tap into health occupations' classrooms to reach tomorrow's
health care workers, with nearly 5,000 of these young people
in attendance.
For more information or to enroll as a judge, contact:
Dr. Catherine Faust
540 Boulevard SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
cfaust@life.edu
3. Health literacy named "top
priority" by Institute of Medicine
A new report by the Institute of Medicine identifies health
literacy as one of the country's top priorities for improving
the quality and delivery of health care.
Health literacy is the ability to understand basic health
care communications, such as prescription instructions and
insurance forms. An estimated 48% of Americans struggle with
low health literacy.
To learn about the AMA Foundation's Health Literacy awareness
campaign, see:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.html
4. Reader response: Respiratory therapist
shortage "confounding"
"In addition to nurses and radiologic technologists,
there is a critical shortage of respiratory therapists.
“This is a story that should be followed due to the critical
nature of the job. Remember, respiratory therapists are the
‘critical care experts’ and the only practitioners trained
to use life-supporting therapies like the ventilator.
“Shortages emerged as critical care therapies and beds outnumbered
trained staff, particularly in the recent era where would-be
clinicians were stolen away by technologies. Add to this the
fact that managed care has removed profitability of critical
care and you have a confounding problem.
“I would like to see more attention paid to the consequences
of a shortage of respiratory therapists.”
David Gibson, BS RRT, Director
Collin County Community College (TX)
Respiratory Therapy (Advanced) Program
“Federal government data projections show employment of respiratory
therapists to increase faster than the average of all occupations,
increasing from 21% to 35% through the year 2010,” said Bill
Dubbs, MHA, MEd, FAARC, Associate Executive Director of the
American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC).
“The aging population and an attendant rise in the incidence
of respiratory ailments and cardiopulmonary
diseases drive this demand,” he added. “This is especially
true for common respiratory disorders, including asthma and
COPD.”
For more information on this issue and how the AARC is addressing
it, see:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/9818.html
5. Log on now to health care workforce
study
Healthcare @ Work 2003 is a national survey that provides
a picture of how employees view their current work and workplace.
The findings will help health care organizations attract,
motivate, and retain employees.
The survey is cosponsored by the American Society for Healthcare
Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) of the American Hospital
Association and Aon Consulting's Loyalty Institute.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Respondents
are not asked to reveal name or employer's
name. Results will be available in fall 2003, via www.aon.com.
Last year's survey results are available at:
http://www.aon.com/about/publications/work/atwork_healthcare2002.jsp
To complete the survey, see: http://www.hcatwork.com
6. Health information management faces
workforce challenges
A recent report on the health information management (HIM)
workforce in North Carolina found that:
- Healthcare providers, organizations, and the public are
often unfamiliar with the profession's scope of practice,
competencies, and educational qualifications.
- Nearly 30% of the hospital-based HIM workforce lacks
a credential from an HIM certifying entity.
- Accredited HIA and HIT programs are not filling existing
enrollment slots and are not graduating all enrolled students.
- No minimum education standard for entry into a coding
position is required, contributing to multiple training
paths and misunderstanding surrounding coding programs and
credentials.
"The Health Information Management Workforce in North
Carolina: Current Trends, Future Directions"
A Report of the Technical and Advisory Panels on the Health
Information Management Workforce
October 2002
By Susan Dyson, Erin Fraher, and Laura Smith
http://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/DATA/nchpds
7. Nerve conduction studies technologist
is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"
Now featured on the Health Professions Network's Web site
is the profession of nerve conduction studies
technologist. Profiled in recent months were cytotechnology,
diagnostic medical sonography, and
medical dosimetry.
The Health Professions Network is a group of professionals
representing diverse aspects of allied health, including primarily
provider organizations but also educators, accreditors, and
administrators.
To request that HealthProNet.org feature your health profession
in the future, send an e-mail to
webmaster@healthpronet.org.
http://www.healthpronet.org/ahp_month/02_03.html
8. California allied workforce data
available soon
The Allied and Auxiliary Health Care Workforce Project of
the Center for the Health Professions (UCSF) will
release its report, "The Allied Health Workforce: Innovations
for the 21st Century," in early summer.
The report addresses critical challenges and opportunities
confronting California's allied health workforce, employers,
educators, policy makers, and consumers.
For more information: http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/alliedhealth.html
9. Society for the Arts in Healthcare
to meet in San Diego
"Transforming Healthcare through the Arts: Healing
our Patients, our Communities, and Ourselves"
April 9-12, San Diego
A wealth of workshops, keynote presentations, site tours,
and other special events is on tap for the 2003 Society for
the Arts in Healthcare Conference. Attendees include health
care administrators and executives, facility managers, arts
administrators, designers, and artists.
The event, sponsored by Scripps Health and San Diego Children's
Hospital, features five tracks:
- Music, Poetry and Dance
- Case Studies - Best Practices
- The International Perspective
- Community Projects - Making Connections
- Evaluating Methodologies
For more information or to register:
www.theSAH.org
(202) 244-8088
10. More news, notes, and nattering
. . .
. . . CAAHEP seeking new public member for its board; contact
megivern@caahep.org
for more info
. . . NAACLS seeking anecdotes or case studies supporting
the role of laboratory services to good patient outcomes;
submit to info@naacls.org
. . . NAACLS to accredit cytogenetic technology programs,
starting April 2003
. . . Congratulations to H. Daniel Schantz, MBA, CT(ASCP),
winner of the 2002 Cytotechnologist Award for
Outstanding Achievement
ABOUT US . . .
The Health Professions Career and Education E-letter is produced
by the American Medical Association (AMA).
This periodic newsletter covers educational trends and career-related
issues for more than 50 professions
that participate in the delivery of health care, including diagnostic
and rehabilitative services, therapeutic treatments, health
or information services management, counseling for psychosocial
and cognitive needs, or related services.
Newsletter readers and contributors include staff of health
professions accrediting agencies, educational programs and institutions,
professional organizations, certifying/licensing boards, and
media contacts.
GIVE US YOUR STORY IDEAS AND FEEDBACK
What's happening in the world of health professions? If you
have any leads or story ideas, please contact us. Also, let
us know what you think about this newsletter--and feel free
to forward it to your colleagues.
Direct suggestions, comments, compliments, gripes, to:
Fred Donini-Lenhoff, Medical Education Products
515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610
312 464-4635
312 464-5830 fax
fred_lenhoff@ama-assn.org
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this e-letter, please send name,
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Copyright 2003, American Medical
Association
Submitted By: David
Yoder |
