Hsm 410 Week 7

Esmeralda Carrizales

DeVry University

HSM 410 Week 7

Professor Gena Niehaus

February 22, 2015

Many people throughout the United States, who are in need of health care, could find it quite challenging to find qualified doctors or nurses due to the growing national shortage of health care industry workers.

The shortage of primary care physicians, nurses, dentists and mental health workers has been growing over the past several years. The shortages not only are affecting those who provide direct health services, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and laboratory technicians, but also those who offer support services such as financial officers, cooks, drivers and cleaners are being affected. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, a shortage in just one part of that complex web can stop other parts from working efficiently.

Many people struggle to understand how the industry is suffering from work shortages when so many Americans are out of work. One reason is that the trend of shortages is accelerating as the Baby Boomer generation is increasing the demand for medical care. Another reason the industry is suffering from work shortages is because, there is an increasing amount of older people who are living longer and have more complex needs. Also, a lot of aging healthcare workers is beginning to retire, which is intensifying the situation.

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 expanded health insurance coverage to an estimated 30 million to 34 million people. When Congress enacted the national health law, it caused for an extremely large amount of newly insured patients to flood a delivery system that was already frail and strained. If the health care industry doesn't see more graduates from nursing and medical schools, along with increased innovation in shared roles and responsibilities of doctors, nurses,

and other medical professionals. Many families and individuals will face longer wait times, difficulty finding a qualified...