BALTIMORE — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today sponsored a Health Care Career Expo at Towson University to connect Marylanders with jobs in the health care field. Maryland is one of the nation’s leaders in health care, currently employing more than 290,000 Marylanders in the health care industry.
The Affordable Care Act will bring approximately 30 million Americans – who currently have no health coverage — into our health care system by 2014. The Governor’s Workforce Investment Board estimates that by 2018 more than 55,000 new jobs in the health care field in Maryland will be created to meet that need.
“By 2014, the health care reform law will provide access to health care for 30 million Americans who currently have no health coverage,” said Senator Cardin. “That need will translate into a growing demand for jobs, and the Health Care Career Expo will help ensure that we have the nurses and health care providers in place to meet the need Americans will have for health care services.”
“We’re seeing an increasing need for health care professionals to help us integrate all facets of health care, including computer technology to improve decision making by consumers, patients, nurses and other healthcare providers. As health care continues to evolve both through technological advances and health care reform, the number and type of staff with specialty training requirements continues to increase,” said Neil Meltzer, President of Sinai Hospital.
“The Community College of Baltimore County is very pleased to be a part of this event. As the largest provider of health care education and training in Maryland we constantly are seeking ways we may assist individuals in gaining employment in this valuable and rewarding workforce,” said Carol Eustis, Dean of the School of Health Professions, CCBC.
“With changing demographics and new medical breakthroughs, healthcare is expected to have continued job growth. We will need great workers and use every opportunity to find them,” said Pamela Paulk, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Vice President of Human Resources.
“Between December 2007, the beginning of the most recent national recession, and February 2011 Maryland’s health care and social assistance sector has added 23,700 private-sector jobs in Maryland. This is a growth of 7.7 percent during challenging economic times,” said Paulette Francois, Assistant Secretary of Workforce Development and Education, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations.
Saturday’s Health Care Career Expo provided approximately 300 people looking for careers in the health care field with access to employers, career counseling, résumé preparation and information on educational and training programs. The Expo also featured a discussion of health care careers followed by an opportunity for attendees to meet with exhibitors who can provide career counseling and employment opportunities. There were approximately 50 exhibitors on hand, including MedStar Health, Mercy Medical Center, St. Agnes Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, University of Maryland Medical Center and area colleges.
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