Health care jobs continue to open up

Eman Shurbaji

May 24, 2016  

Kings County's 10 percent unemployment rate is expected to shrink as more than 2,300 health care jobs are added over the next nine years, according to a recent economic report.

The new health care jobs are 3 percent more than the current number in Kings County. About half of the jobs are planned for registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants and medical assistants.

The report by Applied Development Economics, a Walnut Creek economics research agency, was commissioned by the Kings County Economic development Corporation (EDC) to plan for future areas of job growth.

John Lehn, EDC president, says health careers are up not only in Kings County, but across the nation. His organization’s job training office is working regionally to address unmet employer needs.

“A combination of an aging population, changes in how health care is delivered, and changing of laws governing how health care is administered all contribute to the projected growth in this field,” he said.

Most jobs will be in hospitals and prisons, but for medical offices and imagining centers, the highest number of jobs will be added in: dentist offices (40), kidney dialysis centers (22), outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers (17) and diagnostic imaging centers (15).

Registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses will especially be in demand in Kings County. By 2025, there will be a projected 562 RN job openings and 149 licensed vocational nurse openings.

Local community college and vocational school campuses have a variety of programs for students interested in nursing.

Kathryn Defede, interim director of health careers at West Hills College Lemoore, says between 35 and 45 students graduate with an associate’s degree in nursing annually, and 50 students will graduate as certified nurse assistants this year.

 “[For the associate degree nursing program], 92.25 percent of our graduating students are employed in areas of unmet need and registered nurse shortage areas such as in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties,” Defede said.

Adventist Health, one of Kings County’s major employers, receives thousands of applications from nursing students from across the Central Valley. Though its hiring numbers reference all of its Central Valley locations, hiring trends will ripple through Kings County, according to marketing and communications director Christine Pickering.

“From Jan. 1 to May 13 this year, we’ve posted 388 job [openings in the Central Valley] compared to 207 postings in the same time period in 2010, an 87 percent increase,” said Pickering. “We anticipate a 14 percent annual increase in postings through 2025.”

Jessica Franklin, a human resources sourcing adviser for Adventist Health, says the Kings County rural health programs in cities like Avenal are expected to grow, and more employees will be needed.

“Our Community Care rural health programs have an increased demand for advanced health providers,” she said. “We need nurse practitioners and physician assistants.”

In Kings County, Corcoran State Prison and its adjoining California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility had nearly 100 health care job openings in April. Liz Gransee, public information officer for California Correctional Health Care Services, says staffing is “based on the acuity of our patients and based on the population count of our prisons,” but the prison is constantly hiring.

“There will be on-going needs for specific positions, including licensed vocational nurses, registered nurses, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric technicians and similar medical professions,” she said.

Support staff positions, such as clerical jobs at the substance abuse treatment facility, are also expected to grow, she added.

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