U.S. News & World Report Report recently released their list of the "24 Hot and Hiring Healthcare Jobs." Their report estimates an additional 108,300 pharmacy technician jobs will be added before 2020. In an era of high unemployment rates, it's critical to look at fields with high demand. Is this fast-growing job sector for you? Consider what's involved in being a pharmacy technician.
Duties
The job description for a pharmacy tech is very vast, providing a versatile environment. A pharmacy technician's main responsibility is to assist the pharmacist. That could include verifying prescription and refill patient information, interacting with customers by answering questions or facilitating their requests to the pharmacist, maintaining storage and security conditions for drugs, filling prescription bottles and attaching labels, counting pills and mixing medications. Pharmacy techs may also take on the responsibility of maintaining a patient database.
Salary
How much can a pharmacy tech expect to make? It often depends on location, experience and specific job duties. In the U.S., the median annual salary for the 90th percentile of pharmacy techs is around $38,125. Those in the 75th percentile report making $35,171 and those in the 25th percentile make $28,815 per year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stastics, the median wage is $13.65 per hour.
Requirements
The requirements to be a pharmacy technician vary by state. Texas accepts on-the-job training. The state does not require formal post-secondary education, but the Board of Pharmacy recommends a two-year pharmacy technician program at an accredited school. Employers often give priority and higher pay to techs with formal education in their field. If you do consider a formal program, be sure it is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. Texas does require all pharmacy techs to be registered with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. Registration is even required of those students who are working in a pharmacy as part of their school's internship program.
If you are a trained health care professional seeking employment, consider the help of a healthcare staffing agency. Dynamic Global Staffing has hundreds of contacts within the healthcare industry. Take advantage of our resources to find a job in your preferred sector. Contact us for job opportunities in your area.
From: www.healthcarefinancenews.com
By: Kelsey Brimmer
During the month of April, the healthcare industry continued to add jobs, gaining 19,000 new positions, according to the new employment data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.
According to the report, the largest healthcare job gains were in ambulatory care services with 14,000 new jobs, followed by home healthcare services with 6,100 and physicians' offices with 5,400. Over the last 12 months, the healthcare industry has continued to add an average of 24,000 new jobs per month.
Across all industries, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 165,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.5 percent, however, that number has declined by 0.4 percent since January of this year. The number of unemployed individuals was also little changed at 11.7 million last month, but did decrease by 673,000 since January.
In addition to the healthcare industry, other sectors, including professional and business services, food services and drinking places, and retail trade, also saw job gains in April. Professional and business services added 73,000 jobs last month, food services and drinking places added 38,000 jobs, and retail trade employment grew by 29,000 jobs.
Other job sectors, like construction, mining and lodging, and transportation and warehousing, saw little or no change to their job numbers.
From:www.USNews.com
Today our focus on preventing disease, illness, and injury is just as apparent as our fight to diagnose and treat them. And as even our youngest baby boomers grow closer to age 50, the need to employ qualified healthcare personnel to both prevent and treat medical conditions intensifies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that we not only need to retain those workers already in the field, but also add a substantial number of new ones, with the most occupational growth expected among healthcare support jobs. That's why for this year's list of Best Healthcare Jobs, we included the usual suspects, like nurses and physicians, but also a few unexpected picks, like diagnostic medical sonographer and veterinary tech. Read more on how we rank the best jobs.
#1
As Dr. Seuss once wrote, "Teeth are always in style." Dentists surely think so. They make their living diagnosing and treating our teeth and gums, and counseling us on how to maintain good oral health. This profession is expected to see 21.1 percent growth up to the year 2020.
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#2 Registered Nurse
Nursing is an indispensable profession in healthcare; one where workers are almost always needed. This year is no different, as the BLS anticipates 26 percent employment growth in this field between now and 2020.
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#3
Pharmacists mix technical, organizational, and people skills in a customer-service environment. Each day, more than 274,900 pharmacists dispense medicine and advice to patients at hospitals and retail chains. Their profession is expected to grow 25.4 percent by 2020.
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#4
Physicians are the Grand Poobahs of healthcare—it's their responsibility to diagnose and treat patients, and instruct on proper diet, hygiene, and disease prevention. And like other jobs in this industry, physicians will see abundant job growth to 2020.
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#5
A physical therapist's job description might include helping a paralytic regain mobility or assisting a cancer survivor renew his or her strength. The profession is expected to grow 39 percent by 2020.
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#6
In addition to cleaning teeth, dental hygienists educate patients on proper oral hygiene. Something else of note: They make yearly salaries of about $68,250, although most work part-time.
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#7
Not all therapy involves evaluating clients reclining on barcaloungers. Occupational therapists, for instance, help patients with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities assimilate in society. Its one of the occupations that's especially on the rise, with 33.5 percent growth expected between 2010 and 2020.
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#8
They're basically animal doctors, but they're also so much more: They protect food supply by inspecting livestock, they promote public health by fighting animal-borne diseases, and they help educate people on how to have a healthy relationship with animals. Given the advancements in this field, expect a 36-percent employment jump between now and 2020.
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#9
There's a slightly lower education bar to enter this occupation than to become a physical therapist, but assistants do many of the same tasks, including monitoring therapeutic exercises, observing progress in a treatment plan, and offering proper education for patients post-treatment.
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#10
Behind any qualified veterinarian is his or her support team: the technologists and techs who handle lab work, assist in surgery, administer anesthesia, and collect patient histories. Sounds like the field for you? Consider this: Vet techs and technologists also have excellent job prospects and a low unemployment rate.
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#11
Are you hoping to catch the Outbreak monkey? This fast-growing occupation might be just right for you. Epidemiologists investigate the causes of diseases and research ways to prevent them from spreading.
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#12
This job has both social and technical elements. The technical: You have to master using the medical equipment and make sure the patient is properly placed to get a just-right image. And the social: You’re interacting with nervous patients awaiting information on a medical condition. Sonographers made a median salary of $65,210 in 2011, and are expecting liberal openings for the next few years.
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#13
Not every scrub-wearing hospital attendant is a doctor, orderly, or nurse. Some are RTs, trained professionals who offer medical care and treatments to patients with heart and lung problems. The BLS forecasts nearly 30 percent employment growth in this career.
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#14
Medical secretaries become well-versed in insurance rules, billing practices, and hospital procedures. The reward for their diligence is job security, as the Labor Department projects 40 percent employment growth for this profession.
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#15
Technologists use X-ray, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment to assist physicians in diagnosing patients. As with other healthcare posts, this one will also expand—nearly 30 percent by 2020.
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#16
Many medical assistants are able to maintain office files as fluidly and meticulously as they draw blood. These healthcare professionals mix administrative and clinical duties in hospitals and private practices each day, where they man front desks and sterilize equipment. Their profession is expected to expand 30.9 percent by 2020.
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#17
In many ways, clinical lab techs are the glue that holds our hospitals together. They conduct many of the tests physicians use to diagnose patients and form a treatment plan. The BLS projects this field will balloon 14.7 percent by 2020.
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#18
These professionals are often the ones who help us into the dentist chair, sterilize equipment, and assist during dental procedures. And their responsibilities are increasing as much as our population ages. There should be 91,600 new dental assistants by 2020.
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#19
By helping with bathing, dressing, and administering medication, home health aides allow the elderly, disabled, and ill to live semi-independent lives. The Labor Department predicts this profession will expand by nearly 70 percent by the year 2020.
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#20
Pharmacy techs work side by side with pharmacists, counting tablets, packaging meds, and processing insurance claims. This fast-growing occupation should grow by about 108,000 new positions.
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#21
There's an art to alleviating pain and stress using touch, and there's a need for more trained professionals with the ability to do just that. The BLS predicts the massage therapist profession will grow 20.1 percent between 2010 and 2020.
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#22
It might surprise you to learn that paramedics and emergency medical techs don’t make more money—only around $30,710 in 2011, the BLS estimates—considering they witness gruesome scenes and interact with people experiencing considerable emotional and physical trauma. Still, this occupation is one of our Best Jobs due to its favorable growth prospects (33.3 percent by 2020), and low unemployment rate.
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#23
Like a home health aide, a personal care aide helps clients bathe and dress. But they could also assist with light housekeeping, groceries, and errands.
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#24
In hospitals, long-term care facilities, and nursing homes, it's the nursing aides and assistants who help patients bathe, dress, and eat. There should be more than 300,000 new caregivers performing these essential tasks by 2020.
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From: www.USNews.com
By: Jada A. Graves
Working within healthcare appeals to our society in a way virtually no other professional sector does. The mystique of making medical diagnoses, the desire to help those in need, the adrenalin surge that comes with working at a fast pace and in stressful situations, and the allure of earning a handsome salary. If you need further proof that we like the idea of healthcare jobs, just think about how many movies and televisions shows (reality, dramas, and comedies) take place or have taken place inside hospitals.
Our attraction to this industry will probably always be well-matched with the necessity to educate and employ more qualified healthcare professionals—especially right now, as a substantial portion of our population is aging and requiring more medical care. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there will be more employment growth within the healthcare and social assistance sector than in any others this decade.
Here's a snapshot of the 24 healthcare professions that we at U.S. News have labelled the best to break into, either this year or in the years to come.
The Doctors Are In
What's a list of healthcare jobs without doctors? For 2013, we highlight a handful of professions that utilize this title, although the long road to earning the honor is different for each job. Whether you choose to be a Medical Doctor (M.D.), a Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.), a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), or even a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), you can expect to spend at least two years following undergrad completing a professional degree and residency program. Some medical specialties require up to eight years working as a resident.
The initials behind your name are only part of the payoff for all those years of training: Doctors are imperative to providing quality healthcare, as they're the ones who make the medical diagnoses and final decisions on how to treat patients. The four categories of doctors we highlight this year could together see nearly 300,000 new hires between 2010 and 2020.
Dentist
Expected Openings: 27,600
Pharmacist
Expected Openings: 69,700
Physician
Expected Openings: 168,300
Veterinarian
Expected Openings: 22,000
Tech Support
Some of the most significant work in a healthcare facility is performed by medical secretaries, technologists, and technicians. And like the doctors, therapists, and nurses who they support, these workers undergo specialized training to become qualified to properly operate complex medical equipment, decipher prescription orders, prepare patients for procedures, keep detailed medical records, and possibly even perform initial analyses and medical examinations.
However, you won't find yourself in a four-years-or-more learning purgatory (er, training period) to enter one of these six positions from our Best Jobs list. And job prospects are excellent, as healthcare facilities strive to meet the demand to treat more patients by hiring these types of workers to provide general care and free up registered nurses, therapists, and doctors. Keep in mind that technologists are senior to technicians, typically earn higher salaries, and often need a bachelor's degree and credentials.
Clinical Laboratory Technician
Expected Openings: 23,800
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Expected Openings: 23,400
Medical Secretary
Expected Openings: 210,200
Pharmacy Technician
Expected Openings: 108,300
Radiologic Technologist
Expected Openings: 61,000
Veterinary Technologist & Technician
Expected Openings: 41,700
In the Trenches
If doctors are the industry's healers, then the professionals who fill these seven gigs are the industry's heroes. They're intrinsic to patient, pain, and symptom management; they examine patients, draw blood, provide emergency/first-response care, perform tests, assist in surgeries, monitor healing, change dressings, and more. They might also educate: For instance, a dental hygienist doesn't just clean a patient's teeth; he or she might also instruct the patient on proper oral care. A respiratory therapist might teach a parent how to administer a breathing treatment to their child, or a smoker on ways to kick their habit.
These workers also represent a sect of healthcare that will see some of the most substantial growth by 2020, due to the large and aging baby-boomer population but also thanks to our society's growing interest in preventative medicine. Some pockets within these fields will experience tremendous hiring opportunity. For example, the BLS reports that advanced practice registered nurses (nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists) should especially see a hiring boom, as should nurses willing to work in residential care facilities.
Dental Assistant
Expected Openings: 91,600
Dental Hygienist
Expected Openings: 68,500
Medical Assistant
Expected Openings: 162,900
Nursing Aide
Expected Openings: 302,000
Paramedic
Expected Openings: 75,400
Registered Nurse
Expected Openings: 711,900
Respiratory Therapist
Expected Openings: 31,200
Health & Wellness
It's no longer sufficient to treat medical problems when they happen. We now want to ward them off before they can occur. And as "preventative care" becomes more buzzy, it also becomes more available and affordable. Five positions that facilitate this branch of healthcare made our list of Best Jobs for 2013.
As with other healthcare professions, growth in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy, massage therapy, and epidemiology can also be traced back to baby boomers: This generation is aging but active, and boomers desire and require more rehabilitative and/or preventative care than previous generations.
Physical Therapist
Expected Openings: 77,400
Physical Therapist Assistant
Expected Openings: 30,800
Occupational Therapist
Expected Openings: 36,400
Massage Therapist
Expected Openings:30,900
Epidemiologist
Expected Openings:37,600
The Comforts of Home
One of the fastest-growing industries within healthcare won't employ professionals in a hospital or clinic, but in private residences. The expense and discomfort of being supplanted to an assisted living or nursing home during convalescence, in elderly years, or for end-of-life care is driving many to employ healthcare workers to provide assistance in the home. Home health aides and personal care aides usually aren't qualified to perform advanced medical procedures, but they are assets for patients who need help moving around, bathing, and performing light household tasks.
These two professions made our list because job opportunities are excellent for both. On the other hand, job security isn't as great. Turnover can be high since many aides work with terminal patients, are paid low salaries, and experience little job advancement, according to the BLS. Those thinking of becoming either a personal care aide or home health aide might want to use the job as an entree into registered nursing or occupational therapy.
Home Health Aide
Expected Openings: 706,300
Personal Care Aide
Expected Openings: 607,000
Nonfarm payroll employment edged up in March (+88,000), and the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment grew in professional and business services and in health care but declined in retail trade. Household Survey Data Both the number of unemployed persons, at 11.7 million, and the unemployment rate, at 7.6 percent, were little changed in March.
In March, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 4.6 million. These individuals accounted for 39.6 percent of the unemployed.
The civilian labor force declined by 496,000 over the month, and the labor force participation rate decreased by 0.2 percentage point to 63.3 percent. The employment-population ratio, at 58.5 percent, changed little.
The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) fell by 350,000 over the month to 7.6 million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment edged up in March (+88,000).
Over the prior 12 months, employment growth had averaged 169,000 per month.
In March, employment increased in professional and business services and in health care, while retail trade employment declined.
Professional and business services added 51,000 jobs in March. Over the past 12 months, employment in this industry has grown by 533,000. Within professional and business services, accounting and bookkeeping services added 11,000 jobs over the month, and employment continued to trend up in temporary help services and in several other component industries.
Job growth in health care continued in March, with a gain of 23,000, similar to the prior 12-month average. Within health care, employment increased by 15,000 in ambulatory health care services, such as home health care, and by 8,000 in hospitals.
From: www.HealthCareITNews.com
By: Erin McCann
The mobile health application market is headed for explosive growth, according to a new report by Research and Markets, which has projected the market will swell 61 percent by 2017, reaching $26 billion.
Officials forecast the market will reach more than 3.4 billion smartphone and tablet users with access to mHealth applications. Fifty percent of these users will have downloaded mHealth applications, according to report findings.
Report authors say the mHealth app market is currently in the commercialization phase, where a massive increase in offered solutions has transpired. However, missing regulations for the mHealth sector proves to be a significant barrier to entering the integrated phase, where mHealth will become more integral in physician treatment plans, according to the report. Currently, market revenue is generated primarily by mHealth services and hardware sales as opposed to application downloads, officials say. The top 10 mHealth applications analyzed in the report have generated nearly four million free downloads and 300,000 paid downloads.
According to a 2012 report, the number of adults using mobile phones for health information stood at 75 million in 2012, up from 61 million in 2011, and tablet health activity adoption doubling from 15 million to 29 million in the same time period.
From: www.DaytonBusinessJournal.com
The U.S. economy picked up 45,000 health care jobs in December, with the sector accounting for nearly a third of employment growth, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier.
The health care employment gains accounted for roughly 30 percent of all private sector job growth. The increase in health care jobs was twice that of November, according to CBC, which cited a report by Modern Healthcare.
From: www.modernhealthcare.com
By: Ashak Selvam
Healthcare was again a bright spot as U.S. hiring picked up and the jobless rate fell to a four-year low of 7.7% in February, according to seasonally adjusted preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday morning (PDF).
The 32,000 jobs added in healthcare services represented 13.6% of the 236,000 jobs added across nonfarm payrolls. February's healthcare job growth more than doubled from the 13,000 new healthcare jobs created in January, according to revised BLS numbers. Ambulatory healthcare services led the way with 13,700 jobs added in February. That's down more than 50%, however, from 26,700 ambulatory jobs created in January.
Hospitals saw 8,900 new jobs in February, rally fom the 3,100-job decline in January, based on the preliminary figures.
Home healthcare also saw a boost adding 6,100 jobs for the month, a modest increase from 5,700 in January. Those services continue to grow, up 7.1% compared with February 2012.
The overall new hiring surpassed the past three month's average of 195,000 jobs per month and was substantially higher than the 119,000 new jobs in January in terms of total nonfarm payroll employment, according to revised BLS figures.
From: www.aol.com
By: Vivan Giang
The health care industry has boomed over the last few years, growing twice as fast as the national economy. As the industry continues to grow, there will be a high demand for quality health care professionals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care and social assistance industry is expected to generate the "largest number of jobs, 5.6 million, at an annual rate of 3.0 percent" between now and 2020 -- the most dramatic growth compared to any sector in the country.
And this growth won't be slowing down any time soon. A recent paper by Georgetown University reported that around 78 million baby boomers will be older than 65 by 2030, which means that the need for health care professionals is higher now than ever before.
As a huge proportion of the population gets older, there will be a high demand for better health care services, cutting-edge technology, and new drugs -- along with the doctors, nurses, lab researchers, technicians, and administrators who can propel the industry forward.
Robin Singleton, executive vice president and the national health care practice leader for DHR International, a recruiting firm responsible for placing executives, explained how the health care industry is transforming, especially under President Obama's health care reforms.
"The days of the independent, not-for-profit community hospitals are shrinking because they don't have the resources for the technology, medical devices and the technology to capture all of this data they have to capture that will satisfy under the new health reform," Singleton said.
Instead, health care providers -- the hospitals, pharmaceutical, life science and biotechnology companies -- are consolidating together to create large self-sustaining systems. There's also a greater emphasis on service and patient satisfaction within these new health care mega-systems.
That's partially because the Meaningful Use Act under Obama's reform says that these organizations are going to have to demonstrate "meaningful use" in order to get paid the maximum amounts allowable from the government (for Medicare and Medicaid patients) and the insurance companies. This means that providers can only fully get reimbursed if they have demonstrated through their outcomes data that the services they provide are appropriate and satisfactory to the patients.
But the emphasis on service is also due to the explosion of medical review websites.
All of this means that the health care industry is investing a lot in creating service jobs that will make sure everyone in the organization is happy. These are the health care service positions that are growing significantly right now, according to Singleton:
1. VP of the Patient Experience
"Basically, it comes down to, 'Are we the Holiday Inn or the Ritz Carlton,'" she said.
These organizations understand that they're competing with one another based on their patients and the Internet has made it easier to share reviews among the public, so if a patient has a bad experience, that scenario can be shared very quickly.
2. Chief Patient Rights and Safety Officer
This person is responsible for directing staff within the organization in order to prevent any type of possible medical or health errors that will affect the patient experience.
3. Chief Nursing Officer
"These people are needed to make the necessary changes in the trenches," Singleton said. Patients deal with nurses the most throughout their experience at hospitals, so it's essential to make sure everything is running smoothly for the nursing staff.
4. Chief Clinical Informatics Officer
"These are the MDs that take the data from patient, physician and staff surveys and make the quality changes needed for the organization to run smoothly."
5. Medical Directors
"These are the MDs that practiced for awhile, but eventually moved into administration positions," Singleton said.
6. Information Technology positions
Singleton told us these positions are needed in order to analyze data, which is crucial because data for these organizations are posted for the public, so explanations and analysis are needed.
As for the pharmacy sector, Singleton said that more emphasis is being placed right now on the research and development side, because every company is trying to find the next drug that's cheaper to make and cheaper for the consumer, yet produces the same, or better, result than its predecessor.
"Pharmacy representatives are still growing, but they're really putting their money in the researchers right now," she said. However, "the real growth is in biotech -- these offshoot little companies that are supporting the pharmacy companies."
"They basically said we'll grow your viruses for you and they're filling a particular niche to these pharmaceutical companies," she told us.
Despite the phenomenal growth taking place right now, most of the jobs opening up in health care are for highly skilled workers with multiple degrees.