Building the Health Care Workforce for the Future
Introduction
By 2014, health reform will provide health coverage to tens of thousands more Minnesotans, enabling them to access the health care they need. These new patients, along with the retirement of baby boomers, will increase demands on the health care workforce.
While health reform increases the need for services, it also invests in the health care workforce so that Minnesotans can receive the right care at the right time. The primary care workforce is the foundation of a strong health care system. These are the doctors, nurses, and physicians’ assistants who help patients prevent disease and identify illness early when it does occur.
Health reform strengthens support for these providers overall, and particularly encourages them to practice in the communities where they are most needed.
Health reform also encourages new graduates to practice specialties that have a shortage of providers, like mental health and geriatrics.
More information
State efforts to build Minnesota's workforce of the future focus primarily on the following areas:
• Workforce Planning and Analysis - In order to ensure a strong health care workforce, policymakers and educators need to understand current workforce trends.
• Education and Training for Health Professions - Health reform provides support to Minnesota’s higher education system to educate the health care providers we need.
• Strengthening Primary Care - New financial assistance opportunities encourage graduates to enter primary care and work in Greater Minnesota and underserved areas.
- Will there be enough health care workers to meet the demands to come under health care reform?
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In anticipation of health reform and the aging population, Minnesota has begun planning to ensure that the health care workforce meets the needs of the state now and in the future.
- Where are health workforce shortages the greatest in Minnesota?
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Forty-six percent of the state’s population lives outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area, but only 41 percent of primary care physicians practice there. Rural communities often experience the greatest challenges in attracting qualified health care professionals. Long travel distances, availability of professional support, family needs, and other factors contribute to the decision to practice in a rural setting. Some urban communities that serve low-income populations also experience difficulty in attracting health care professionals.
- What areas of health care are experiencing the most challenges in attracting health care professionals?
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A strong primary care workforce is the foundation of an efficient and effective health care system. Yet students considering a career in primary care must weigh the challenges of paying for a health professional education with future earnings, which are often substantially less in primary care compared to higher-paying specialties. In many parts of the state, there are also shortages of providers for specialty services like mental health, long-term care, and dental care.
- How is Minnesota extending the role of current primary care providers?
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Minnesota has been a national leader in creating options to help extend the role of traditional primary care providers – family physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants – by authorizing and developing new professions like community health workers, community paramedics, dental therapists and advanced dental therapists.
- What does health reform do to address potential workforce shortages?
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Health reform takes a comprehensive approach to workforce issues by
• Health Workforce Planning and Analysis. In order to ensure a strong health care workforce, policymakers and educators need to understand the current workforce and trends in supply and demand.
• Education and Training for Health Care Providers. Health reform provides support to Minnesota’s higher education system to educate the wide range of needed health care providers.
• Encouraging primary care and practice in underserved areas. New financial assistance opportunities encourage graduates to enter primary care and work in rural and underserved areas.
• Making health care more efficient. Models like the Health Care Home maximize contributions of health care workers and decrease utilization of health care by improving coordination.