Lancaster Physician Spring 2021 - 29

Pennsylvania College of
Health Sciences
The vital role of health
care workers became increasingly evident in 2020 as the
world struggled with the
COVID-19 pandemic. Dr.
DR. JEAN
Jean Hershey, vice president
HERSHEY
of academic affairs at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences (PA College),
said the need for workers is sure to continue.
" We saw that 2020 was the year of science
and health care, " Hershey said. " COVID-19
really brought attention to the critical role
of a well-trained, highly prepared staff and
incredibly complex medical and health care
system. Looking ahead, we will continue to
see health care and health science-based careers
in high demand across the country and right
here in Lancaster County. "
Shortages of physicians, nurses, and health
care educators will continue to plague the
health care industry, Hershey said, but will
be alleviated somewhat by an increase in
the number of advanced practice providers
(APPs) such as nurse practitioners. Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences established
a nurse practitioner program two years ago
to address the demand for services.
Nursing shortages are not new, but were
exacerbated by the pandemic, Hershey
explained. With more than one third of
registered nurses over age 50, a considerable
number retired in 2020 or are planning to do
so in the near future. A shortage of nurses is
particularly troubling in Lancaster County,
due to the advanced age of the county's general population, and especially problematic
during a pandemic when nurses are needed
to work extra shifts and otherwise increase
their work loads.
Physicians also are in short supply, especially
in areas such as family medicine, internal
medicine, emergency care, and OBGYN
medicine. And, Hershey explained, PA College offers an MSN in Nursing-Education
program to address a shortage of health care
educators, particularly nursing educators,
who must have both clinical experience and
an advanced degree.

In addition to nurses, Hershey cited a need
for workers such as surgical technologists and
imaging professionals. COVID care resulted
in an increased need for imaging technologists,
respiratory therapists, and laboratory professionals in addition to physicians, nurses, and
assistants, she explained.
Regarding entry-level heath care positions,
Hershey noted that medical assistants are in
high demand, a fact PA College is addressing
by preparing to launch a program in the fall
for the training of medical assistants. The
nine-month program will include a variety
of clinical and administrative work.
She also cited opportunities for jobs as
patient care aides, nursing assistants, unit care
clerks, patient transporters, and housekeepers.
Generally, according to Hershey, the outlook for health care workers is bright. The
number of jobs in many areas of health care
is expected to increase in coming years, and
those contemplating health careers have a wide
range of positions to choose from. PA College, which is affiliated with Penn Medicine
Lancaster General Health, offers a variety of
programs with varying requirements.
" We have programs of varying lengths
and degrees, from certificates to associate,
bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, "
Hershey noted.
Students interested in health care careers
should possess a strong interest in science, she
advised, but also have good communication,
interpersonal, and social skills. A health care
program will include courses in subjects such
as pathophysiology, microbiology, nutrition,
chemistry, and physics, as well as mathematics,
English composition, psychology, sociology,
and others.
" You should go into your education knowing that it will be rigorous and challenging, "
Hershey said.
Those contemplating careers in health
care also should explore options for tuition
reimbursement plans offered by some health
care systems, Hershey advised.

WellSpan Health
WellSpan Health has a
tradition of encouraging
employees to take advantage
of benefits designed to help
them advance their careers,
explained Robert J. Batory,
ROBERT J.
BATORY
senior vice president and chief
human resources officer. As a result, the health
care system has been able to retain employees
as they transition into high-demand jobs.
" We see many employees start in entry
level roles, achieve higher education using
our educational benefits, and advance their
careers into higher demand roles, " Batory said.
In particular, WellSpan has a history of
nurse assistants who train and continue
working within the system as graduate registered nurses.
The organization makes a point to invest
in medical education activities and student
loan assistance to support growth and
development of both the physician and
non-physician workforce, he said, and its
efforts have been recognized.
WellSpan has been named for 10 years as a
top-rated health system and rated 11th overall
by Training magazine, which ranks systems
based on the quality of their learning and
development programs.
" This recognition validates the strength of
our training programs and is a reason why
others would consider us an employer of
choice in a very competitive marketplace, "
Batory said.
Still, along with other health care systems
across the country, WellSpan currently finds
it increasingly difficult to recruit physicians
in the specialties of neurology, anesthesiology,
psychiatry, OB/GYN, pulmonary critical
care, and urology.
Positions requiring a registered nursing
degree can be challenging to fill, leading
WellSpan Health to focus on nursing development, Batory explained. Nurses with associate
Continued on page 30

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

Lancaster Physician Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Spring 2021