Physician assistants (PA’s) are needed in small towns, suburbs and cities across America to supplement America’s shrinking work force of physicians as primary care providers. Specifically, job opportunities for PA’s are growing rapidly in rural areas. This is partially due to a large number of family practice and general practitioner physicians who are retiring.

In addition, many younger physicians and residents find the necessary specialty and research experience they need in larger hospitals in big cities. This creates a prime opportunity for newly minted physician assistants to seek out job openings in community clinics and smaller rural hospitals in one of America’s many small towns.

Small town residents considering a career as a physician assistant may want to alert local community organizations. Many local groups have been known to at least partially fund or sponsor the education of aspiring health care providers who express a commitment to returning to their hometown once they’re licensed. The “contract” may be nothing but a verbal promise and a handshake, but if you cherish your rural roots and want to provide health care for your community, they may be grateful enough to help out with financial aid.

Many rural clinics are set up to address the daily health care needs of patients without insurance and those who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. Others are designed to divert patients away from already overpopulated emergency rooms in hospitals.

Still others exist to prevent small town residents from having to travel long distances to see a doctor. Statistics show that about 40 percent of patients who utilize community clinics for their primary health care, are lacking insurance. The new economic stimulus package provides $500 million in funding over two years for community clinics with an additional $1.5 billion earmarked for construction of new community health centers across the country.

There may be a period of adjustment for some physician assistants and their families, when accepting a new job in a rural area, especially for those transitioning from the big city. However, most find the new opportunities well worth it because of the close connections they are able to forge with their patients and the community in general. This level of care is the very reason many PA’s enter their profession in the first place.

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Physician Assistant Career

H1N1 Virus Reiterates Health Care Worker Safety Precautions

The recent spread of the H1N1 Virus (“swine flu”) is a reminder to all health care workers that there is never a good time to become lackadaisical with safety precautions.  The introduction of a new virus strain or spread of an existing one into the patient population, impacts every member of the health care workforce.

Phlebotomists are on the front lines of testing, taking patient blood samples and sending samples that test positive to the CDC for confirmation.  Medical imaging technicians screen for pneumonia and other signs of disease in respiratory infections such as the H1N1 virus.  Physician assistants help doctors with the inevitable surge of patients concerned about possible symptoms of virus or disease strain.   It is important during these times for all health care workers to brush up on proper hand washing techniques, use of barriers, handling of sharps, proper glove use and other universal precautions.

Universal precautions were developed in response to the AIDS outbreak of the 1980s. This standard medical practice requires that every health care worker coming in direct contact with patients, treat each patient as if they are infected with AIDS. The practice also extends to the possibility of Hepatitis infection and any other virus that may be transmitted through a patient’s bodily fluids.

As a nurse, I occasionally observed health care workers cutting corners when it came to the proper practice of universal precautions. For instance, I watched some home health aides and CNAs either wear the same pair of gloves when transitioning between patients or simply changes gloves without washing their hands in between.

As a health care student this may seem like a no-brainer: wash your hands, properly dispose of sharps, and wear gowns and masks when required. In the real world, however, under staffing and general work overload make it tempting to “forget” universal precautions and other safety precautions. Remember that you are not only gambling with your health and safety but also the well being of every patient and family member you come in contact with, including your own.

The consistently rising shortage of physicians is said to be caused by the large number of retiring baby boomer doctors, physicians breaking free of the health care industry due to frustration with lack of insurance reimbursement and other factors that are leading to a substantive lack of primary care providers.

This is especially true of under served areas such as rural regions of the country and inner cities. Physician assistants are playing a vital role in filling the gaps and are currently in high demand across the U.S.

The job was born in 1970 as a response to all the returning soldiers from Korea and Vietnam. Now it is a key career in the medical industry and lauded as a big health care cost saver. There are 136 physician assistant training programs in the U.S. which graduate, on average, over 5,000 new PA’s every year.

Typical training time is between 24 and 30 months, depending on the program specifics and the education costs run about $1,000 per month per student (much more economical than medical school). Entrance requirements for a PA training program include a college degree and one thousand hours of work in some type of medical setting.

The physician assistant works under the supervision of a doctor and has a clearly defined scope of work which includes patient diagnostics, treatment, preventive care and prescribing medications. Physician assistants can work in general primary care practices or they may choose to specialize. The greatest need by far in underserved areas of the country for PA’s, are in general and family practices.

One career website ranks physician assistant as the second “hottest” career with an expansive salary range between $16,460 and $74,390 depending on experience. The site also states that demand in this extremely promising career is likely to grow by almost half, 49 percent by 2012.

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The Advantages of a Career in Healthcare

Choosing a Career in Allied Health Care

When my father’s memory first started to slip, and those who knew him well noticed the changes in his personal and work life, his doctors were faced with an array of possible causes. Memory related and neurological symptoms can easily run the gamut from a variety of types of dementia to stroke or pathological brain disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

One doctor even diagnosed my father with depression. As it turned out he had developed and ultimately died from a pathological brain disease called Pick’s Disease – a combination of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Professionals in many areas of health care have the opportunity every day to care for individuals like my father and the millions of others living with often heartbreaking memory related disorders. Therefore preventing the onset of these diseases can be a powerful motivation for anyone to embark on a career in health care. Those aspiring to work in  imaging, especially as a CT scan technician, may not realize their valuable role in prevention.

Medical imaging is being used to detect certain changes in the brain and arteries that can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s.  For the estimated 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s*, it may be too late to do much more than slow the disease’s progression. However, for those at risk for or already in the process of developing these diseases, there is still hope for pinpointing the disease and stopping it in its path.

Medical imaging can play an important role in seeing changes in a patient’s brain before any changes are seen in their behavior. Whether the purpose of the CT Scan is to diagnose by process of elimination or look for those pathological brain changes, medical imaging technology is moving forward faster than the speed of light. This health care job is an ideal blend of technology, prevention and patient care.

*Alzheimer’s Association

If you have been considering a career as a medical assistant, this is the time to turn that dream into a reality.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth for this career is a remarkable 35% from 2006-2016. There are very few careers, health care or otherwise, that can boast such an impressive number. Depending on experience, medical assistants can earn anywhere from $20,000 a year to $40,000.

Training to become a medical assistant is a diverse academic journey. During your one year certificate program or two year associate degree program, you will gain a solid foundation in medical science courses such as anatomy, physiology and medical terminology. You will also learn valuable administrative skills like typing, transcription, record keeping, accounting and insurance processing.

The comprehensive medical assistant training also includes learning lab techniques, clinical skills, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, how to administer medications and first aid. Your education also shines a light on the legal side of medicine, covering topics such as medical office practices, patient relations, medical law and ethics. You will then have the opportunity to put all your new knowledge and skills to use in a practical internship that takes place at a doctor’s office, hospital or other clinical facility.

Once you graduate from your accredited medical assistant program, the job description for medical assistant includes helping patients, along with performing a variety of tasks that make you a key role on the medical team. Separate from many other careers in medicine, medical assistants have a great deal of direct interaction with patients, offering moral support while providing an expert level of medical care. In order to balance the patient care role with the various other administrative and clinical responsibilities, a good medical assistant is a highly skilled multi-tasker and decision maker.

Does this career sound like a great fit for you? Use the resources here on health care builder to find an accredited medical assistant training program. Today is the day to get started!

Telecommuting to a health care job seems like a contradiction of ideas. Health care by definition implies caring for the health of patients. And unless those patients are coming to your home, it would be pretty hard to work from home and care for them.

There are some health care jobs, however, where telecommuting may be an option, especially now with health care employees in great demand. Employers may be more willing to be flexible. Some examples of health care jobs where telecommuting may be a possibility include: administrative and data entry positions such as medical transcription, medical billing and coding and health care administration among others.

You will need to check with your employer to find out if telecommuting to a health care job can indeed become a reality. Let’s say that you have that conversation with your employer and you land a health care job where you can telecommute. Now, let’s consider the pros and cons of such a work style.

Pros:

• Set your own schedule: If you’re more of a night owl than a “9-5” type this is truly a perk
• Declare your independence: You are only responsible for completing your set tasks on time. No co-worker politics or over-the-shoulder supervision by the boss to deal with.
• Being green: The environmental kind. By removing your car from rush hour traffic you reduce your eco footprint while also saving on gas money and automotive wear and tear.

Cons:

• Work Ethic: This is only a con if you don’t have enough of one. Avoiding procrastination, being extremely organized and absolutely independent are non-negotiable traits for the telecommuter.
• Distractions: This applies mainly to the telecommuter working in a bustling household with a demanding spouse, children and pets. This isn’t necessarily a deal breaker – as long as you have a plan for dealing with distractions and getting your work done.

In addition to considering these pros and cons, I would also strongly advise you to have a proper workspace that is segregated from the rest of your home as much as possible (being able to close a door is a big plus). If you do manage to land a telecommuting health job and find a way to make it work from your home, the financial (cost savings) rewards and freedom will be well worth it.

As of May, the national unemployment rate had risen to 9.4 percent with another 345,000 American jobs lost. These are the highest numbers since 1983 (Bloomberg.com). The good news for those laid off workers looking for a new career direction, is that the recent stimulus package has reportedly created several such opportunities in the field of health care.

Whether you are interested in exploring jobs as a pharmacy technician, radiologist, phlebotomist, home health aide, medical transcriptionist, medical secretary, dental assistant or more, it seems that lawmakers are doing their best to help you get the necessary health education.

I reported in a prior blog how the majority of new stimulus-created jobs require at least a postsecondary education.  There are also many other government incentives to get people back in the classroom. It was announced in early May* that up to $4,600 in federal grant money will be made available for the newly unemployed. The money would be designated for tuition and books and results from $3 million in federal job training funds.

More specifically, the funding comes from the federal economic stimulus package to assist laid off workers from troubled industries such as automotive and manufacturing by giving them new job opportunities in “recession proof,” flourishing industries such as health care. The grant provisions are up to $4,000 for tuition and $600 for books and eligibility is at least partly determined by family income among other personal and situational factors. The average student taking advantage of this funding earns about $20,000 per year.

Most job opportunities in health care offer much higher wages than this. In addition, training for many careers covered here on health care builder takes one year or less, so this is a perfect time for aspiring health care workers to take advantage of these stimulus package funds.

*www.courier-journal.com

Health care workers in all sectors of the industry are in high demand. But no matter how great the demand is (and it is only predicted to rise), it is always important to be smart about financial planning. As you narrow down your choices and choose which health care career best suits your talents and interests, it is important to account for how much it will cost to make your dream a reality.

This means weighing the job and salary outlooks for your future career with the cost of your education.  If you are going to go to health care school, make sure you research how much you will most likely be earning after graduation to ensure you can pay off your education. There are several websites you can visit to research salary projects, including Salary.com and Mint.org.

Thankfully for those considering careers in health care, many potentially lucrative jobs require one year or less of education. In addition, there are elements of the new government stimulus package either in place or soon to fall into place that will offer grant money and other funding to recently laid-off individuals looking for a new career. There are also traditional methods of financing your health care education such as work study, scholarships, loans and financial aid.

Experts recommend federal student loans in lieu of private loans which often have higher interest rates. They also recommend, particularly for the recently unemployed, that if you have been denied financial aid in the past from a college that you reapply after losing your job.

If all else fails, hope is not lost. Many health care fields require a minimum of on the job training. So, if you have some science courses under your belt and perhaps some volunteer work in the medical community, it might be worth applying for that medical assistant, pharmacy technician or phlebotomist job an exploring your on-the-job training options. For everyone else, be sure to have that calculator handy while perusing the college course catalogs. Anything is possible – as long as you plan ahead.

Phlebotomy Career

The lab is not exactly most patients’ favorite place to visit in the hospital. In fact, many associate the slip of paper their doctor hands them with an array of ordered blood tests, akin to being sent to the principal’s office for punishment. For hospital inpatients, the familiar sight (sometimes right after waking up) of the phlebotomist with their handy kit of needles, vials, alcohol swabs and tourniquets is enough to make some hide under their covers.

Patients fear needles and therefore some of the most important qualities of a phlebotomist are patience, a calming demeanor and excellent interpersonal skills. Becoming a “good stick” (known in the field as a lab tech who hits the vein on the first try smoothly and nearly painlessly) takes experience, but at least if a new phlebotomist starts with a reassuring smile and a comforting touch, patients are apt to be more forgiving.

As a nurse, it took me more than a few IV starts to get the hang of it and I have nothing but sympathy for some of my early “victims.” The best I could do was smile and master the art of distraction through humor and good conversation.

Unlike nurses, many phlebotomists receive more on-the-job training than formal education and this can actually be more of a blessing than a curse. By shadowing, working alongside and learning the tricks of the trade from all those “good sticks” a new phlebotomist can learn a lot more in a shorter period of time than what a textbook can provide.

Some formal education is required, of course, including medical terminology, universal precautions and safety procedures, taking vital signs and basic anatomy. But, like so many other health care careers, sometimes the best school is the school of life.

The good news for aspiring “good sticks” is that phlebotomists and other lab technicians are in high demand by hospitals, urgent care clinics, blood and plasma donation centers, and many other settings. In a time of recession, the lucrative job opportunities awaiting phlebotomists make the prospect of sticking needles in squeamish patients an attractive job option to explore.

There is something to be said for knowing what to do in a medical emergency. Countless caregivers have been inspired to go into the field of health care to gain the knowledge, skills and training to be one of the elite few who actually know what to do when a fellow human being’s life is on the line.

The most that everyone else in these situations can usually do is call 911 (not to underestimate the importance of that), stand by helplessly and hope that somebody who can help comes along real soon. This is certainly not to say that a career in health care is for everyone.  However for those who choose this type of career, the most lucrative rewards are sometimes paid in having the power to help.

Aside from a professional health career, what keeps people from learning even CPR or basic first aid? There is such a high probability that they will, at some point in their lifetime, witness a medical incident where someone needs help.

Anyone who has taken CPR has heard the American Heart Association statistics about how survival rates from cardiac arrest and stroke are drastically improved by early bystander assistance. Yet, in most situations I have witnessed as a nurse and an EMT, there is not an abundance of trained people at the scene, all fighting for a chance to help.

I sympathize with those onlookers, because I would imagine that the feeling of not knowing how to help in those situations, of being powerless, must be incredibly scary. As a former CPR instructor, I did my best to alleviate my students’ anxiety about learning to save a life. I would start each class saying, “I know what your biggest fear is – that you’re going to try to help but make the situation worse.

Guess what? If it’s a CPR situation the person is dead and you can’t make dead worse.” It was graphic, blunt and it got everyone’s attention – and usually a laugh.

When you train to become a health care provider, in any care giving capacity, you not only have the power and knowledge to “not make it worse” but you also gain the extraordinary power to save and improve lives. Whether in the course of the workday, or outside of it, health care workers make things better just by being one of the elite few who know what to do when nobody else does.