CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS TO COMMUNITIES

Health Workforce Development

The implementation of federal health reform could mean at least 34 million people will gain access to health care, starting in the year 2014. Simultaneously, the percentage of the population over the age of 65 will continue to grow dramatically. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management Forecasting Division, those over age 65 will make up 20 percent of our total population by 2030.

Unfortunately, even as we recognize the problem, we may not have enough educators to train the providers we need. According to the Washington Center for Nursing, the average age of a nurse in Washington State is 48.5 years (46 nationally) and the average nursing faculty member is more than 50 years old.

Through its community-academic linkages and continuum of activities, Western Washington Area Health Education Center (WWAHEC) is uniquely qualified to provide technical assistance for health profession recruitment and retention. We work with state partners in the following programs:

Washington Recruitment Group

WWAHEC is a member of the Washington Recruitment Group (WRG), a coalition of non-profit agencies and organizations that represents the state and federal government, universities, community health centers, Indian Health Service and community-based programs. The WRG focuses on the recruitment and retention of primary care providers for medically underserved populations. WRG recruits for the following types of practice sites: rural areas, tribal settings (Indian Health Service or self-governed), and urban sites caring for medically underserved patients and/or state or county correctional facilities.

A request form for direct recruitment assistance is available on the Department of Health website.

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Health Career Information

Western Washington Area Health Education Center is committed to providing health career information for the education and the public. We provide extensive information and links to health care resources on our website.

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