Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announces his Allied Health Initiative with Fresno City College President Dr. Cynthia E. Azari. Photo Credit: Peter Grigsby, Office of the Governor.

SACRAMENTO – As part of his commitment to creating jobs in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday announced his Allied Health Initiative – a $32 million public-private partnership aimed at reducing California’s critical health care worker shortage by adding thousands of additional professionals to California’s hospitals and health care facilities over the next three years.

This partnership is being led by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and includes several state agencies, the California Community Colleges, along with the University of California and California State University systems, and the California Hospital Association and its member teaching hospitals.

The initiative will begin in the fall with 25 community colleges enrolling more than 700 additional allied health students in their classes.

“Today we are taking some great action to put Californians in jobs and pump up the economy, and at the same time, improve the quality of health care for Californians,” said Schwarzenegger. “The health care industry is one of the bright spots in our economy continuing to add jobs, and still our hospitals and community clinics struggle with massive shortages because our colleges and medical training program can’t keep pace with the rising demand. This public-private partnership will expand the number of pharmacists, lab technicians, imaging specialists and more – giving thousands of Californians the opportunity to pursue their dreams while making our state a healthier place to live.”

With this Initiative, regional industry and education leaders will work together to develop effective allied health partnerships. An allied health professional is a licensed individual that works in support of a nurse or doctor, such as lab technicians, dental hygienists and pharmacy technicians.

Funding for the three-year program consists of $16 million from the state, including $8 million federal Workforce Investment Act funding and $8 million Recovery Act federal stimulus funding. Private partners, such as schools and hospitals, will provide $16 million in matching funds or in-kind contributions.

“We are grateful that Gov. Schwarzenegger has once again put his full faith in California Community Colleges to help train the workers of tomorrow,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Jack Scott. “California Community Colleges have over 72,000 students enrolled in health occupation programs, and we expect that this Initiative will increase our ability to educate even more students in the healthcare field.”

According to a Health Workforce Solutions study, more than 60 percent of the health occupations in California are in allied health and we are already experiencing shortages.

According to the most recent employment numbers available from California Labor Market Information Division and Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, California only has 73 percent of the pharmacists, 65 percent of the Medical Lab Technologists, and 62 percent of the Radiation Technologists and Technicians of the national average per 100,000 people.

In spite of the economic downturn, the health care industry continues to grow in California, adding more than 27,000 jobs between February 2008 and February 2009.

By the year 2030, more than one million Californians will be 85 years of age or older which is going to increase the demand for health care services. As California’s population continues to age, more and more workers – including health care workers – are beginning to retire at a faster rate.

The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the Employment Development Department workforce projections include the need to educate over 206,000 additional health care professionals by 2014.

The Allied Health Initiative is going to be structured after Governor Schwarzenegger’s successful California Nurse Education Initiative created in 2005. That initiative was a $90 million, five-year public-private partnership, which has so far seen an increase of more than 54 percent in the number of Registered Nurse (RN) graduates (9,526 graduated in 2008), an increase of more than 56 percent new faculty members (over 1,240 new faculty members), an increase of more than 68 percent new student enrollments in RN programs and 22 new public and private RN programs since its inception.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks with students during his tour of the Health Sciences Building at Fresno City College. Photo Credit: Peter Grigsby, Office of the Governor.