Obama Introduces Pick For Health and Human Services
Posted by admin - 03/03/09 at 08:03:46 pmThe world of health care is changing: this Monday President Barack Obama named his pick for head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius. In naming her, he touched upon her reputation for bipartisan problem-solving and years of experience which he hopes will translate to expertise in expanding health care access to millions of Americans.
“As governor of Kansas, she inherited billion-dollar deficit. But by eliminating waste and inefficiency while making smart choices, she balanced the state budget without raising taxes. And time and again on energy and education, jobs and health care, she’s bridged the partisan divide and worked a Republican legislature to get things done for the people of Kansas,” Obama told an East Room audience.
As the role of health care expands in our country, so too will the need for qualified health care workers. That means big things are in store for those interested in pursuing a health care career!
In addition to the nomination of Sebelius, Obama named Nancy-Ann DeParle to be his personal counselor on issues of health care and health reform.
New Bemidji State University Clinical Resource Center
Posted by admin - 10/02/09 at 08:02:04 pmBemidji State University, in Minnesota, has opened a brand new Clinical Resource Center for its Department of Nursing. Propelled by students injured in the line of duty and the subsequent passage of the Safe Patient Handling Act, the new resource center is state-of-the-art in terms of many of its facilities, including machines for doing the lifting that nurses shouldn’t have to.
The center features five health care suites, each dedicated to different areas of health care: pediatrics; medical-surgical; intensive care; home care; and a birthing center, complete with a female mannequin capable of giving birth to a simulated infant. The suites each contain state-of-the-art equipment and simulation aids for each specialty area and are tied into Command Central, an electronic medical record system.
Integrated into the center are six mechanical patient lift systems, including one in each of the five specialty suites. All six were donated to the Department of Nursing by Bemidji Medical Equipment during construction of the center.
Bemidji Medical Equipment’s decision to donate no-lift systems serendipitously coincided with Bemidji State’s efforts to construct its lab. The company lept at the opportunity to showcase its products in a brand new facility in its home town, and worked with the University and lab architects to specifically design the health care suites to accommodate no-lift systems. The support and guide rail for the lifts are constructed into the ceiling, leaving no impact on floor space around the patient beds.
“There’s no play in the system,” Gangeness said. “The rails are stable and do not move, which helps give the patient an increased sense of security and safety while they’re in the lifts.”
So far, the company has donated lift motors to eight schools in the Minnesota College and Universities system — including the six installed in Bemidji State’s lab.
Nurses have many duties, but they shouldn’t have to be Olympic champion weightlifters to accomplish them. With the new mechanical lifts, nurses will have their hands free (literally) and uninjured to take care of the delicate and caring jobs they signed on to perform. As the technology spreads to more hospitals and training facilities, hopefully injuries will become a thing of the past.
Nursing on the Fast Track
Posted by admin - 10/02/09 at 07:02:13 pmAccording to the Stamford Advocate, an interest in nursing is on the rise in Connecticut. It’s not just with lifelong medical dreamers fresh out of high school, either — quite a few are leaving former careers in search of something new.
[Cory] Boyd, coordinator of the accelerated nursing program at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, has taught a 60-year-old baker, fine arts majors, pharmaceutical researchers and foreign-educated doctors.
Accelerated programs, which include traditional classroom instruction and clinical hours, are full-time and intended for those who have a bachelor’s degree in another field and want qualification as a registered nurses in one to two years.
Statewide, colleges and universities report a rise in applicants for accelerated nursing programs. The increase far exceeds space. Applications for the 8-year-old Quinnipiac program have doubled in the last two years, from about 50 to 100, Boyd said. The program enrolls 35 to 40 students each year — a far cry from the six-student class in the program’s first year, she said.
Spots are filling up fast in accelerated programs around the state, but there are many jobs to be filled waiting for those students upon graduation, a supply and demand ratio helping to propel nursing into one of the most desirable industries today.
Health Care Career Scholarships Available in Yuma
Posted by admin - 02/02/09 at 06:02:35 pmGood news for anyone considering studying for a health care-related career in Arizona: The Yuma Regional Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary and the Foundation of YRMC are now offering scholarships in the field of health care. The scholarships are open to anyone in Yuma County, so long as you are enrolled in secondary education and pursuing a career in health care (barring veterinary science).
Applications must include transcripts; proof of eligibility, acceptance or enrollment in a qualifying course of health-related study, and three letters of reference.
Applicants must write brief personal essays of not more than 300 words about their major fields of study and why, their educational plans and career goals, and what led them to these goals.
Essays should include descriptions of applicant’s strengths, character and personality, how their education will be financed, and why they are applying and why they qualify for the scholarship.
Applications are due February 27th, and forms are said to be available at YRMC’s volunteer and human resources department and at hospital information desks; the Yuma Regional Corporate Center, 399 W. 32nd St.; high school counseling offices; and the Arizona Western College financial aid office. So if you live in the area and are dedicated to getting your degree in health care, get cracking! The scholarship could make a world of difference in your education.
Health Care Careers Not Just for Nurses
Posted by admin - 02/02/09 at 06:02:44 pmA lot of times, when people hear “health care careers,” they simply think of nurses. Being a nurse is a noble and amazing (not to mention, potentially lucrative) career, but — just like any other career — it isn’t for everyone. That doesn’t mean, however, that a career in health care is out of the question for you! There are plenty of careers in the field with just as powerful shortages, many of which are painfully overlooked.
Medical Coding Specialist is the hottest new program at MSCST, and while it sounds deceptively simple, people who master studies in how to bill what codes can start a job at upwards of $17 an hour, said Watson.
Because of an intricate web of services, levels of care and associated codes used with insurance carriers, having patient care correctly coded on their charts is paramount, said Watson, because incorrect numerical coding for a condition or a procedure can mean the facility is out the insurance payment it should have received.
[...] Oftentimes, students will double their marketability by taking courses in medical coding and medical transcription, another staple of any clinic or hospital operation.
Transcriptionists create typed files of physician dictation, scanned in laboratory reports and other patient documentation necessary in a file. For those students, classes on terminology are intensive, as a few letters off in medical language can mean the difference between a patient’s belly, butt or leg, Watson said.
Unlike nursing, transcriptionists and coding specialists deal with the paperwork rather than getting in the thick of things with patients themselves. It’s a great way for a more linear, technical-minded individual to still get involved in one of the fastest-growing fields in the country.
120 Jobs Created at New County Kildare Healthcare Facility
Posted by admin - 02/02/09 at 06:02:11 pmHealth care is a career field that knows no boundaries — it is expanding all over the world. In Kildare, Ireland, a new healthcare facility is being built, with 120 brand-new jobs expecting to be opened up in the process. The Vista Primary Care Campus will be a €25m undertaking, the first of its size in the country.
The €25m facility provides services in the community that were previously only available in hospitals.
It’s thought that 46,000 patients will be treated ‘after-hours’ in 2009 while Vista will deal with around 56,000 day cases.
It’s heartening to see such growth in so many areas of the world, and it’s a sure sign that the progress of health care shows no indication of slowing down.
Information Technology: One Big Leap For the Health Care Industry
Posted by admin - 30/01/09 at 04:01:45 pmA major part of the new economic stimulus plan is to allot a large sum of finances toward developments in health care information technology — this will definitely help to accelerate in the simple the passing of knowledge and give the health care a 21st century shine, but in terms of more farsighted matters, such developments may have a positive impact on helping the industry function more smoothly as a well-oiled machine.
Technology alone will not solve the myriad of problems in our health care system; however, the ultimate value of developing a fully functioning digital backbone is the ability to interconnect doctors, hospitals, patients and other essential elements for delivering effective care. A digital backbone will give primary care doctors an essential tool to function in their vital role as the first line of defense against major illness. The ability to exchange information quickly can help reduce medical errors and administrative costs, and improve patient-doctor communication.
Our digital capabilities are always growing, and for an industry as crucial as health care, keeping up with the times is an ultimate necessity. Do you think large scale revamping of its information technology is the way to go? Sound off on your thoughts in the comments section!
Jobs Booming in Health Care
Posted by admin - 29/01/09 at 06:01:04 pmIt seems like it’s happening everywhere: jobs in health care are going through the roof! We ran across this brief blurb in the Gainesville Sun, alongside briefs on tainted peanut butter and the bird flu in Indonesia:
Jobs Booming in Health Care
The U.S. economy may be losing jobs but the health care sector is one of the bright spots, The Wall Street journal says. The health care industry saw a net gain of 419,000 jobs last year, and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong growth through 2016. The number of jobs for registered nurses alone has grown by 168,000.
Also of note in Gainesville: washing your hands can cut your chances of catching a respiratory infection by as much as 24%! If all else fails, however, at least there will be plenty of health care specialists to help you out.
Health First Adds 150 Jobs in Florida
Posted by admin - 29/01/09 at 05:01:14 pmAccording to Florida Today, health care provider Health First will be greatly expanding its Palm Bay location hospital, doubling its size and creating 150 new job positions in the process. Though currently one of the smallest hospitals in its county, it is working to add 92 beds and over 120,000 square feet.
“When the doors open, 80 of these people will be in place right away,” said Health First spokesman Elliot Cohen, referring to the anticipated hires. And, as capacity grows and beds fill, “the hiring will continue,” he said.
[...] Of the 150 jobs, 75 will be totally new positions. The rest may be filled internally from other Health First hospitals, either Holmes or Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, but these people will be replaced, McCarthy and others said, bringing the net growth to 150 jobs in the community.
At least 80 percent of the positions will provide full benefits, while the rest will be per diem hires, according to Gina Councill, the recruiter in human resources at Health First.
She said salaries will range from slightly above $8 an hour to more than $50 to $55 an hour.
Among the immediate hires: three new pharmacists, three additional pharmacy technicians, 25 to 30 registered nurses and nursing aides and about 30 employees to staff the hospital’s new cafeteria.
McCarthy said the cafeteria and the hospital’s expanded intensive care unit are among its newest services, while the pharmacy, which provides 24-hour coverage, will move toward a more clinical approach in the future, with the additional pharmacy staff.
In the face of general economic downtime, hospital vice president Jennifer McCarthy says, “it’s exciting to plan for real growth.” These new jobs, which range from pharmacists and nurses to operational personnel, should be available as the hospital approaches its re-opening next June.
Missouri Governor Calls for Expanding Health Care and Scholarships
Posted by admin - 28/01/09 at 07:01:37 pmOn Tuesday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proposed the expansion of health care coverage to over 60,000 state citizens, as well as expanding fund allotment for college scholarships. This proposal comes with the expectation of state income as part of a stimulus package.
Nixon acknowledged many Missourians face dire circumstances — 219,000 are unemployed, 42,000 had their homes foreclosed last year and 729,000 lack health insurance.
In that context, he said, government should focus on five basic priorities — job creation, fiscal restraint for the state, education, health care and a more accountable government. He urged lawmakers to pass “an emergency jobs plan” by their spring break in mid-March, a challenge which drew thunderous applause from both Republicans and Democrats.
With an emphasis on both health care and education expansion, Missourians might do well to consider a degree in nursing or another track in the health care field — if all goes to plan, business could be booming very soon!