Partnerships help close the gap in health care jobs
By 2050, a gray-hair-raising 20 percent of the total U.S. population will be 65 years old or older, according to the Congressional Budget Office — that's up from 12 percent in 2000 and 8 percent in 1950. The number of people age 85 or older will grow the fastest over the next few decades, constituting 4 percent of the population by 2050.
This growth in the elderly population will bring a corresponding surge in the number of elderly people needing medical and health-related services. At the same time, federal health insurance reform should increase the number of people who have access to health insurance — and health services.
Correspondingly, the demand for health care professionals is projected to grow 19 percent from 2014 to 2024 — much faster than the average for all occupations — adding about 2.3 million new jobs, according to federal labor statistics. Health care occupations will add more jobs than any other group of occupations.
Colleges and universities have been anticipating the growing need for more people who can help diagnose, treat and care for the elderly and ill, and are responding with innovative ways to educate and prepare professionals to enter the work force more quickly and affordably.
At Elmhurst College, the Center for the Health Professions is responding to the demand by partnering with other educational organizations in a number of health care fields, providing opportunities for qualified students to accelerate their process into the workforce.
In some cases, the partnerships take the form of early admission programs, for students who are certain about a particular career path. These academic affiliations not only enable students to enter to the workforce more quickly, but also save the student significant tuition costs.
For example, the Dual Acceptance Program between Elmhurst College and Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy is a special opportunity for high school students who have decided with certainty to pursue a career in pharmacy and would like to streamline the path to a doctorate of pharmacy program.
Students apply to Elmhurst College and Midwestern University during their senior year in high school, and if accepted to both programs would complete their prerequisites over two years at Elmhurst College and then matriculate to Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy to begin their four-year doctor of pharmacy program. This allows a student to complete their doctorate in pharmacy in six years instead of eight.
In June, Elmhurst College and National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) announced the development of the Advanced Scholar Program, which puts students on a faster track to completing a doctor of chiropractic degree.
The program offers qualified students accelerated completion of both a bachelor of science and doctor of chiropractic degree in about seven academic years rather than nearly eight.
The Advanced Scholars Program is a powerful combination of Elmhurst College's undergraduate academics and National University's professional preparation, and allows qualified students an opportunity to streamline their education.
Elmhurst College also has academic affiliations with Hines VA Hospital and NorthShore University HealthSystem for medical laboratory science. Professionals in this field are trained to use highly specialized technology to gather data used in identifying and treating diseases. They collect samples and run tests that support diagnoses determined by the health care team.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for medical laboratory scientists is growing much faster than the average.
Elmhurst students interested in this affiliation would complete requirements for graduation and the program during their first three years and if accepted, would complete an 11-month medical laboratory science program at one of the hospitals. This lessens their education and training by one year.
Elmhurst College also has several other affiliations that assist students with reaching their academic and professional goals and help meet the larger need for health professionals, including with Northwestern Memorial Hospital for diagnostic medical sonography, nuclear medicine technology and radiation therapy; A.T. Still University for medicine; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for veterinary medicine; and College of DuPage for nuclear medicine technology.
• Cheryl Leoni is director of the Center for the Health Professions at Elmhurst College.