Health workforce planning: – Ensuring rights to access and a career

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Marina O. Matthew, RHIA, Bureau of Health Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Health, 7th & Forster Streets, Room 1033 Health & Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120, 717-772-5298, mmatthew@state.pa.us

Abstract 1 of 3

Pennsylvania's model for assessing its health workforce was initiated in 2002 in response to legislative concerns about the lack of objective data focused on potential health profession shortages. The Department of Health, with input from a Health Professions Study Group, designed a simple survey for inclusion with license renewal applications processed by the Department of State. As a result of this unique collaboration, eleven workforce reports have been published on the demographic, educational, and professional characteristics of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physicians, dentists, and dental hygienists in Pennsylvania.

This session will describe the collaborative process, methodology, and results for the two surveys of most urgent interest to policymakers – nurses and physicians. Special survey features, such as the assessment of satisfaction, specialty certification, and overtime prevalence for nurses and remaining years anticipated practicing medicine, delivery of babies, and Medicare and Medicaid participation for physicians, will be summarized. In addition to the nurse survey, presenters will review complementary data on pre-licensure nurse education programs in the state.

To ensure the rights of Pennsylvania's citizens to access a robust health system sustained by a qualified workforce, survey data have been used to design systemic recruitment and retention strategies, and improve health care access to underserved areas. High survey response rates have not only assured sound, reliable statewide data, but have enabled county level data to be compiled for community planning efforts. Abstracts 2 and 3 will describe uses and applications of the data in greater detail.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the methodology of implementing ongoing healthcare workforce surveys.
Discuss how information collected can guide policy discussions on the shortage of health professionals.
Articulate factual data concerning the characteristics of various health professional populations in Pennsylvania.

Keywords: Data Collection, Health Care Workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation

Community Assessment, Planning and Workforce Development

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA