Five community colleges will use $4.75 million in federal money to help teach 724 Southwest Virginia residents the skills needed to get a job in a rapidly growing health care field.
The grants, announced Tuesday, come from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Community-Based Job Training Grants Program to offer classes in the use of electronic health records technology.
The jobs potential in this field exploded two years ago when President Barack Obama called for its use in his campaign, said Debbi Clear, vice president of instruction and student services at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon.
“It’s certainly going to be a growing field,” said Clear, whose college will act as the lead agency in the new program. Also involved will be Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, New River Community College in Dublin, Southwest Virginia Community College in Cedar Bluff and Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, she said.
Electronic health records systems use computers and digital imaging technology to keep track of medications, immunizations, laboratory test results and other medical history in a format that can be easily shared among doctors at different health care facilities.
A 2005 study by the RAND Corp. estimated that fully implementing this new technology could save the country an average $40 billion per year and as much as $77 billion annually in health care costs. Researchers at the Santa Monica, Calif., think tank claim that savings would show up through better drug utilization, shorter hospital stays and a reduced need for laboratory tests, chart pulls and transcription services.
Obama cited this study when he pledged to put $10 billion a year toward the technology’s development over the next five years as a way to make health care more affordable. The administration has since made the technology a key part of many of its programs, including the Community-Based Job Training Grants Program, which awarded $125 billion worth of job-training grants Tuesday.
“This administration is committed to job creation every day,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said during a conference call announcing the grants. “Our goal is to help workers across the country prepare for and secure good jobs, and with support from these colleges we’ll ensure we reach a broad base of individuals in need.”
Virginia Highlands’ health records program was one of 41 grant recipients from 26 states, according to a news release.
Though the health records program is still in the planning stage, Clear said, the five schools will start by recruiting and training existing medical record specialists, medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. The schools will then expand their course offerings to new or returning community college students who do not have a background in health care.
gmclean@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2518
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