When most people think about health care, they think about doctors and nurses who provide care directly to patients.  There are many health care professionals, however, working behind the scenes to provide laboratory, imaging and other critical services needed to diagnose and treat patients.  These health care professionals make up the allied health workforce and include professions such as clinical laboratory scientists, radiological technologists, and respiratory therapists, among many others.

Nearly 600,000 allied health care professionals are working “behind-the-scenes” in California’s hospitals and other health care settings. Yet despite these numbers, California is facing a long-term shortage of allied health workers who will be needed to care for our state’s growing and aging population. 

By the year 2030, California’s population is projected to increase by 10.2 million people, with the number of the state’s total residents 65 years of age or older expected to double. Regionally, in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties combined, the  portion of the population over the age of 65 is expected to grow by roughly 120%, increasing from 1.6 million in 2005 to 3.5 million in 2030.  This “aging” of California’s population is resulting in an increased demand for health care services and a long-term need for the workers who provide them.

The clinical laboratory scientist, or CLS, shortage in California is one of the most pressing health workforce issues. These skilled workers are an integral part of the patient-care delivery team, conducting a wide range of diagnostic tests, from simple blood tests to genetic testing. Delays in diagnosis and treatment caused by the shortage have the potential to limit access to care and increase emergency room wait times and length of stay.

Diagnostic imaging is another area that is projected to have a high demand for workers statewide in the future, especially in the specialty areas. Imaging professionals, like radiological technologists, take X-rays and can specialize in other modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The advanced technology used in diagnostic imaging has enhanced health care providers’ ability to diagnose and treat patients quickly and efficiently.

Specifically in the five counties mentioned, the health occupations projected to offer the most significant employment opportunities in the coming decade are entry-level health occupations such as home health aide, dental assistant, and medical assistant. Dental hygienists are also projected to be in high demand, but this occupation is not considered entry-level.

Looking back as recently as two years ago, hospitals statewide were experiencing workforce shortages in a variety of allied health occupations, but today, that picture is very different. Due to the ailing economy, many health care professionals postponed retirement or increased their work hours. This has resulted in an easing of the allied health workforce shortages in the near term. However, despite a temporary decrease in demand for these workers, there exists a long-term need for qualified, culturally competent allied health professionals to meet the need for health care services in California in the coming decades. 

For information about careers in allied health, go to: www.calhealthjobs.org
www.healthjobsstarthere.org

Cathy A. Martin,  is Director, Workforce, of The California Hospital Association,
(916) 552-7511, camartin@calhospital.org or go to www.calhospital.org/centers-committees/committees/workforce-committee