Workforce Challenges Biomedical Informatics & Health IT

Laurie Bouillion LarreaPresident

Dallas Fort Worth Regional Workforce At-A-Glance

February 2012 Unemployment3,292,100 in the workforce3,058,900 working233,200 unemployed – 7.1%

Compared to February 2011 – 3,257,400 in the workforce2,999,300 working262,100 unemployed – 8%

Compared to the Houston Region3,004,400 in the workforce2,788,200 working216,200 unemployed – 7.2%

• The Texas economy stands to save as much as $14.2 billion annually if it can effectively implement and maintain an interoperable electronic health information infrastructure (IEHI) including electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchanges (HIEs)

• Funded by a Wagner-Peyser grant and supported by the Texas Workforce Commission, will perform a state-wide workforce needs assessment from all industry stakeholders and an educational program inventory from all higher education institutions.

• This well trained HIT workforce will be responsible for ensuring the data is reported correctly, utilized to generate new knowledge for research or other purposes, and can be deployed to help Texas healthcare providers keep patients healthier and more productive.

• In determining the HIT-related skills and knowledge required by the various employers in Texas and develop a cross-cutting plan to fill the identified needs, this project will position Texas to successfully deploy an electronic health information infrastructure to gain the projected economic benefits, provide jobs for thousands of Texans and ensure Texas higher educational institutions are providing the training needed in our state and across the nation.

Texas Health Information Technology (HIT) Workforce Development projectSusan H. Fenton, PhD, Project Director, Texas State University – San Marcos http://www.health.txstate.edu/him/TxHIT-workforce/news.html Released 3/30/12

HIT EMPLOYERS

• Healthcare providers (rural and urban hospitals, clinics, physicians, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies)

• Large hospital systems and mid-sized hospitals• Information technology and software companies• Healthcare consulting companies• Health plans and clearinghouses• State and local government, especially public health• Military and VA• Academic medical centers• Skilled nursing & long-term care facilities• Home health• Ambulatory clinics• Monitors and regulators (state level, Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services and

others) 

Source: Texas Health Information Technology Employer Needs Assessment ReportSusan H. Fenton, PhD, Project Director, Texas State University – San Marcos

Additional HIT workers needed in Texas thru 2013 (based on employer feedback)

Employer Type Workers Needed

Hospitals/clinics 9,500

Non-providers 500

TOTAL 10,000

Source: Texas Health Information Technology Employer Needs Assessment ReportSusan H. Fenton, PhD, Project Director, Texas State University – San Marcos

Significant hiring barriers reported by responding employers:

• Accessing qualified candidates• Staff retention in a competitive market• Lack of a well-defined HIT career ladder• Consultants who understand needs are too

expensive/not available• Lack of employee computer skills/ability to

learn new skills

Source: Texas Health Information Technology Employer Needs Assessment ReportSusan H. Fenton, PhD, Project Director, Texas State University – San Marcos

Major differences between IT and HIT Careers

• Healthcare industry is highly regulated• Large number of diverse stakeholders• Required access to high-quality data• Required understanding of clinical workflow

processes• Business model is patient-centered• New healthcare policy initiatives are constantly

being introduced• Technologies are rapidly changing• Healthcare maintains a ‘unique value’ in our society

Source: Texas Health Information Technology Employer Needs Assessment ReportSusan H. Fenton, PhD, Project Director, Texas State University – San Marcos

Average HIT Salaries by Job Level -  From AHIMA 2010 Salary Study

Average HIT Salaries by Job Setting and Level From AHIMA 2010 Salary Study

http://www.ahima.org/Default.aspx

Average HIT Salaries by Geographic RegionFrom AHIMA 2010 Salary Study

Conclusions from the Texas HIT Employer Needs Assessment

The Texas HIT workforce is insufficient to meet the current needs of the healthcare industry, and closing the gap will require collaboration among employers, educational providers, public organizations and others to implement a plan of action to:

• Standardize HIT roles, competencies and titles;• Develop a common curriculum and training above and

beyond the continuing education and health information management role;

• Develop new models of education/employer collaboration to facilitate continued development of programs to meet employer needs in this fast-growing, evolving field.