Department of Health Professions
DHP Healthcare Workforce
Data Center Overview
Annual Roundtable on Nursing
Practice, Education and
Research
Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa
June 16, 2011
Department of Health Professions
Outline
1) Workforce data availability and limitations
2) Data Center background & research
http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/hwdc/default.htm
3) Surveys underway and under development
4) Planned publications for 2011-12
5) Q & A
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Health Professional Workforce Data
• Individual states (not the federal government)
license health professionals due to:
– Amendment X of the U.S. Constitution
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited
by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
– Dent v. West Virginia (1889), the U.S. Supreme Court
affirmed individual state’s sovereignty in regulating
professions.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Health Professional Workforce Data
• State licensing boards have the “best data.”
• But it has always been intended for licensure
applications and renewals purposes . . .
NOT to answer research questions related to
workforce analysis and planning.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Health Professional Workforce Data
• Most states must rely on the “address of
record” provided to licensing boards as
proxies for practice location. And, then this is
done generally only to assist in determining
health workforce shortage areas for HRSA.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Health Professional Workforce Data
• Public and private organizations also use
state licensure data and their own ad hoc
surveys.
• Only a handful of states (NC & MI) have
developed formal research programs
designed to provide answers to healthcare
supply and demand policy questions across
professions.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Health Professional Workforce Data
• Workforce research is in its infancy. Not only
is the formal body of research small, but
there are no agreed upon standard research
methods and definitions.
• Even “supply” and “demand” mean vastly
different things from study to study, including
those studying the same profession.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Greater Need to Know Now
• But the need to know the answers to questions
such as “who is practicing,” “with what skill
set,” “where,” “for how many hours each
week” for “what type of patient,” and “for how
much longer” is becoming more essential.
• Healthcare has a large economic impact and
access to adequate healthcare significantly
impacts the quality of life.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Greater Need to Know Now
Driving forces for a “perfect storm:” Unprecedented
demand increase with supply decrease.
• By 2020, Virginia is estimated to have 1 million more people
than in 2008 and a greater proportion age 65+.
• A large portion of Virginia’s nurses are “Baby Boomers”
and older, and the trend is expected to continue into the
next decade.
• Insurance coverage through the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act should add to the demand at the
same time that a large bulk of practitioners will want to
reduce hours or retire.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Healthcare Workforce Data Center
• In 2007, a Governor’s commission on healthcare
recommended the Center’s creation within DHP.
• DHP is the natural repository for over 80 professions
and 300K+ licensees and has online licensure
renewal and application capability.
• HB2405 was enacted in 2009 which authorized
Department’s collection and dissemination of
workforce data -- ensuring confidentiality.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Healthcare Workforce Data Center
Mission
To improve the healthcare system in the
Commonwealth by improving data collection
and measurement of the Commonwealth’s
healthcare workforce through regular
assessment of workforce supply and demand.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Healthcare Workforce Data Center
• Online licensure renewal and, now also,
application processes easily incorporate
surveys to minimize cost and data error.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Healthcare Workforce Data Center
• Funding for start-up made available for two
years through Workforce Investment Act
grants – starting in the Spring of 2008.
• In 2010, Virginia was awarded $1.93 million
health workforce grant to the new Virginia
Health Workforce Development Authority.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Health Workforce Data Improvements
• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act also created a new 15 member
National Health Care Workforce Commission
• We should begin to expect uniform standards
for data collection and reporting for all the
states in the near future.
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Data Center & Research
• A walk through the website publications &
handouts . . .
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
New Surveys in Place
•
•
•
•
•
•
Physicians (MD and DO) – Dec. 2009
Nurses (RN and LPN) – April 2010
Certified Nurse Aides – July 2010
Physician Assistants – November 2010
Nurse Practitioners – February 2011
Behavioral Sciences (LCSW, LPC & Clinical
Psychologist) – April 2011
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
New Surveys continued
• New on-line applications:
–
–
–
–
–
RN
- Occupational Therapists
LPN
- Respiratory Care Practitioner
Dentist
- Pharmacists
Dental Hygienist
- Pharmacy Technicians
Medicine & Surgery
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Surveys in Development
•
•
•
•
Pharmacist (November 2011)
Pharmacy Technician (November 2011)
Dentist (January 2012)
Dental Hygienist (January 2012)
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Surveys to Begin Development in 2011/12
as Determined by the Advisory Council
• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech-Language Pathologist
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Publications Planned for 2011-12
• 2010 Nursing Education Program Survey Report
(July 2011)
• 2010 Physician Survey Report (Fall 2011)
• 2010 Nursing Survey Report (Spring 2012)
• 2011 Pharmacy Survey Report (Spring 2012)
• 2011 Dentistry Survey Report (Summer 2012)
June 2011
Department of Health Professions
Questions?
Elizabeth.Carter@dhp.virginia.gov
804-367-4426
June 2011