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February Marks Healthcare in Partnership with Education Week

February 9 – 13 will mark HIPE (Healthcare in Partnership with Education) Week.  This week is designed to promote healthcare careers to students in South Dakota and is one of the initiatives of HOTT (Health Occupations for Today and Tomorrow).  HOTT is jointly sponsored by the SD Departments of Education, Health and Labor.  HIPE Week is a wonderful opportunity to share information about health careers.

The information provided by South Dakota’s Labor Market Information Center of the SD Department of Labor shows the following trends in the health care industry:

¨      South Dakota’s health care industry is a major source of employment and earnings in South Dakota, accounting for more than 11 percent of all workers and nearly 14 percent of employer payrolls.

¨      The number of workers in South Dakota’s health care industry increased significantly faster over the last 10 years than did all industries combined.  The number of workers in South Dakota’s health care industry increased by more than 32 percent over the last 10 years, significantly higher than the 24.1 percent increase among all industries. Average annual pay of health care workers also increased faster than for their counterparts in all industries combined, at 53 percent compared to 46 percent.

¨      The health care industry is projected to be South Dakota’s largest growth industry, adding an estimated 7,780 jobs by 2010. It is also projected to be one of South Dakota’s faster growing industries, increasing more than 21 percent from 2000 to 2010.

¨      Nearly all South Dakota health care occupations are projected to have favorable or very favorable job outlook to 2010, with demand for workers being greater than the estimated supply of workers.

¨      Almost all health care professions in South Dakota are projected to show double digit percentage growth between 2000 and 2010.  Occupations with some of the largest increases include:

§         Dental hygienists -- 38 percent

§         Emergency Medical Technicians -- 23 percent

§         Medical assistants -- 52 percent

§         Medical record & health information technicians -- 43 percent

§         Medical transcriptionists -- 31 percent

§         Occupational therapists -- 29 percent

§         Pharmacy technicians -- 31 percent

§         Physical therapists -- 26 percent

§         Physician assistants -- 41 percent

§         Radiologic technicians & technologists -- 26 percent

§         Registered nurses -- 21 percent

§         Respiratory therapists -- 30 percent

¨      South Dakota’s post-secondary education program graduates in health care fields have some of the highest placement rates.

It is not surprising to see that two of the programs offered by Dakota State University are in the list of professions with the largest projected percentage growth between 2000 and 2010 – health information management and respiratory care.  Our graduates are in demand!

For more information on HOTT or HIPE Week, please visit www.sdjobs.org/sdhott; and for more information on the educational programs in the health care industry offered by Dakota State University, please visit DSU’s website. The URL address for the Health Information Management Program is www.departments.dsu.edu/him  and the Respiratory Care Program’s URL is www.departments.dsu.edu/sciences/resp_care.htm