Essay Example on Washington DC: Booming Biomedical Research & Healthcare Hub

Introduction

Washington DC continues to be a significant hub in the United States in biomedical research. There are 16 hospitals and medical centres in Washington DC. the total number of jobs from the healthcare and social assistance was 59, 000 in 2017 in Washington DC, with half employed in hospitals, 7000 in the residential care centres, and 20,000 in the ambulatory services. Overall, the greater Metropolitan Washington D.C has a population of above 6 million, which makes it the seventh-largest metro area in the United States. This paper presents an analysis of the macro-trends that affect the future of the healthcare workforce, examining the Washington DC region. Moreover, key areas including the Nursing medical technology, short term, and long term care will be addressed consistent with the current and projected shortages of healthcare professionals in Washington, DC.

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Technology Advances

There is an increasing demand for IT and data analytics in the nursing education which influences the profession in preparing new medical practitioners. Advancement in technology significantly affects curriculum and nursing practice through health records and data collection management. Electronic health records provide an opportunity for developing models in medical field research including precision medicine that involve high technology and expertise.

Therefore, there are opportunities to expand Washington DC’s IT and data analytics base to improve protection when dealing with sensitive biomedical information. With an increasing demand for medical precision and sensitivity of medical records, there is a need to develop cybersecurity. The United States Department of Human Services and Health estimates that about 175 million individuals were affected by compromised health records (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). Therefore, there is a growing opportunity in Washington D.C's advancement in cybersecurity, biomedical expertise in handling sensitive health data for various federal agencies. Moreover, there is a growing opportunity for jobs in data analysis and healthcare information systems. Big data analytics should be included in the nursing curriculum to support and better prepare nursing graduates when they join the workforce.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing medical experience that is significantly expanding in the nursing curriculum. The use of robots and computers to perform medical procedures, which is critical to make clinical decisions. AI is creating new ways for senior and retired nurses to continue providing service to communities through virtual health platforms. With a significant number of senior nurses who are set to retire within the next few years. There is an anticipated reduction of 60% in the nursing workforce, therefore, telehealth and AI technology will provide a platform for retired skillful nurses (Medstarhealth, 2019).

Increasing demand for Non-Hospital Care

Generally, in the United States, there is an increasing demand for non-hospital medical professions such as ambulatory care services, home care, and preventive medicine. With Washington D.C having 1.8% of the total population of the U.S, the job growth metrics indicate that an increase of about 14,000 new opportunities in home health, personal care, and nursing assistants by 2022 (MHA online, 2020). This shows a significant opportunity to align Washington DC’s workforce without primarily focusing on the 4-year degree nursing course, while also considering the vocational requirements. Nursingworld.org indicates that a predicted one million nursing jobs by 2022, which will significantly increase the number of enrolments to nursing school. However, the University of Maryland, the school of nursing enrolls 100 students with over 500 applicants each year.

Significant Investment in Healthcare

In Maryland and Virginia, there is significant government investment in the health sector. For instance, the INNOVA health system started the reconstruction and renovation of a $1.2 billion venture fund for improvement in healthcare research in Merrifield, Virginia. This included the development of a precision medicine Centre at the University of Virginia of more than $112 Million as well as partnering with George Mason University in providing training to physicians, and other healthcare workers concerning cancer research. The $1.2 Million venture will significantly contribute to the expansion of health systems in the Washington DC metropolitan area (Cook, 2017). This will create a bio-health hub within Washington DC that competes with other centers including San Diego and Boston. There will be a growing prospect to strengthen partnerships among healthcare sectors including research institutions, universities in Washington DC as well as research hospitals.

Long-Term Care

A projected increase in the number of adults aged above 65 years in Maryland and urban surroundings is expected to increase from 2015 to 2025 by 36% (PHInational, 2018). Therefore, there will be an increase in the population that requires direct care workers, however, the United States Department of Health and Human Services indicates that a significant number of direct-care workers are leaving for other areas of healthcare. There is currently a shortage in the number of RN in Washington DC, significantly contributed by a lack of nursing educators. Moreover, nursing schools in the United States experience lack of funding for graduate programs, therefore, increased funding at the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia would give more scholarship opportunities to BSN and RN, since they are mostly preferred by hospitals. Subsequently, more educational specialists will be hired to meet the increasing demand and reduce burnout.

Conclusion

The macro trends that affect healthcare in Washington DC metropolitan area include technological advances in health record management, increasing demand of non-hospital care, significant investment in healthcare, such as the INNOVA initiative that invested about $1.2 Billion funds for improvement in healthcare research in Maryland and Virginia as well as the shortage of nurses. Therefore, it is imperative to improve the staffing requirements of nursing and increase the skill mix to allow nurses to develop professionally. To address the shortage of nurses, they should increase the training of medical practitioners and offer congressional studies through sponsorships in nursing schools.

References

Cook, A. (2017). Improving Job Quality for the Direct Care Workforce: A Review of State Policy Strategies. Retrieved July 17, 2020, from http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/465897

Medstarhealth. (2019). Catalyze Innovation that Advances Health. Retrieved July 17, 2020, https://mi2.medstarhealth.org/our-work/telehealth/

MHA online. (2020). Five Emerging Careers in Healthcare Administration (2020). Retrieved July 17, 2020 from https://www.mhaonline.com/blog/five-new-healthcare-administration-careers

PHInational (2018). The Direct Services Workforce in Long-Term Services and Supports in Maryland and The District of Columbia. Retrieved July 17 2020 from https://phinational.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSWorkers-Maryland-2018-PHI.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Breach Portal: Notice to the Secretary of HHS Breach of Unsecured Protected Health Information. Retrieved from https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf