by Guest Author | Jul 10, 2019
Ensuring Indiana has a workforce with the right skills mix to meet demand in the health sector is critical to achieving economic goals and securing maximum health of the population. Diversity, career pathways, advancement opportunities, and retention of talent are top workforce priorities among health sector employers. Identifying occupational pathways in the health sector and determining their impact on workforce diversity and talent retention is critical to the development and/or strengthening of targeted initiatives for Indiana.
by Guest Author | Jul 10, 2019
One in four Americans received treatment from a mental health professional in 2014. The mental health workforce is comprised of a cadre of professions that work together synergistically to support mental health, much like pieces forming a puzzle. While each profession has its unique training and scope, all professions are pieced together to treat the whole person. The purpose of this report is to describe the following professions: psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric advanced practice nurses (APNs), (clinical) addiction counselors (LACs/LCACs), (clinical) social workers (LSWs/LCSWs), marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors. Recognizing that mental health and addiction services may be provided by other health professionals (such as primary care providers), understanding characteristics of each piece of the mental health workforce puzzle is imperative to inform future policy discussions as they are a vital component to health care.
by Guest Author | Jul 10, 2019
The oral health workforce is critical to achieving Healthy People 2020 objectives focused on promoting and sustaining oral health for all Americans. Dentists and dental hygienists are licensed health professionals whose primary focus is dental disease prevention and oral health promotion and restoration. These professions are the foundation of the oral health workforce. Understanding the number, distribution and characteristics of dentists and dental hygienists can be useful to inform policy discussions related to oral health and access to dental care. Data on Indiana’s dentist and dental hygienist workforce are gathered through a voluntary survey administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) in conjunction with biennial license renewal. This report includes information on 2,259 dentists (58.8% response rate) and 3,231 dental hygienists (65.3% response rate) who renewed their license in 2016 and that met inclusion criteria (briefly describe inclusion criteria in footnote). Additional information on inclusion and exclusion criteria can be found in the Data Report: 2016 Indiana Oral Health Licensure Survey. Although great strides have been made to advance oral health in recent years, there is more work to be done. Nationally, 35.6% of adults over the age of 18 did not see a dentist in 2014,2 and 26% of adults age 20 to 64 were found to have untreated decay.3 Closer to home, we find that Hoosier children also struggle with dental diseases. A survey administered by the Indiana State Department of Health in 2013 revealed that 51% of Indiana third graders had a history of dental decay and 17% had untreated dental decay at the time of the survey.
by Guest Author | Jul 10, 2019
Physician assistants (PAs) are medical practitioners who work under the supervision of a licensed physician. They play a vital role in the health care system by performing physical examinations, making diagnoses, and prescribing treatment to patients. In addition to these general responsibilities, PAs order and interpret laboratory tests, including X-rays, as well as suturing, splinting, and casting injuries. The physician assistant role was created in the 1960s to reducing barriers to accessing health care that had resulted from the increasing shortage or maldistribution of physicians, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Data on the PA workforce is critical to understanding capacity of this workforce in Indiana.
by Guest Author | Jul 10, 2019
Registered nurses (RNs) are the largest professional group within the health workforce. These professionals are a vital part of the health system, including health care delivery and public health. Demand for nurses is on the rise. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development projects a 17.7% increase in the need for RNs by 2022. Understanding the supply, distribution, and characteristics of the RN workforce is crucial to informing health workforce policy discussions. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of data that pertain to relevant policy issues in the RN workforce at the State and Federal levels and is intended to serve as a resource to inform these important policy discussions.
