The Indiana Statewide Rural Health Network is launching a new program to help rural hospital's fill critical needs for allied health workers.
A recent survey with the groups 30 participating hospitals found that nearly a third of them are having difficulty filing positions that require licensed and properly trained allied health workers---like ultrasound techs and lab technicians.
Don Kelso, IRHA Executive Director, says that it was only anecdotally that they decided to survey the hospitals about job vacancies and were surprised to see so many positions that needed to be filled.
As part of the new Indiana Rural Workforce Innovation Network they will be working with Ivy Tech to train more people interested in medical fields. Kelso says he is especially happy that the college will also now offer classes for students focused on work in a rural health care environment.
Kelso says supporting rural hospitals is tantamount to maintaining rural communities economic health.
"Someone once told me there is corn growing in all 92 counties so even though there are municipalities that have hospitals in communities of 5,000 to 15,000 people in that town, the health care provider there - the hospital - they are the primary economic driver for that community," says Kelso.
The program is being funded by a three year grant from the U.S. Health Resources Services Administration. Kelso says the program is similar to one they launched around information technology.
"So each year, each two semesters we are growing 70 to 80 informational technology professionals if you will, with industry recognized certifications. I think the same thing will happen here with these allied health workers. They'll be ultrasound techs and lab techs."
Kelso says that program took about a year to start turning out certified workers to fill open positions and expects that will be the same case here.