The WWAMI Center for Health Workforce Studies
Regional Information Center (RIC), was established to improve the quantity and quality of information about the health workforce
in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and other Northwest states in order to assist the University of Washington School of Medicine, other regional health science schools, and policy makers in those states to understand and meet the regional populations' needs for health professionals.
Background: High
quality health workforce information is a critical tool for regions, states, and educational institutions – both to improve health care access for residents, and for states' economic development. The U.S. Department of Labor calls the health care sector a “high growth industry” that includes ten of the twenty fastest growing occupations through 2012. Identifying current and predicting future workforce shortages and understanding the distribution of health care workers gives government, educators and industry the opportunity to take advantage of employment opportunities, and to craft specific solutions to health workforce problems. This information is needed for the entire spectrum of health care workers providing services in medical care, oral health care, and public health arenas.
WWAMI Center for Health Workforce Studies: The University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies (WWAMI CHWS) was established at the University of Washington in October 1998 with funding from the Bureau of Health Profession's National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. The Center conducts policy-relevant research on the regional and U.S. health workforce, often in collaboration with government agencies, health providers, and other researchers. Center research and analysis topics have spanned the occupations of the health workforce. The Center examines issues of workforce supply, demand, and population need, and has examined historical trends as well as made specific workforce projections for the future. The Regional Information Center (RIC) resides within the WWAMI CHWS.
Contact Us
Sue Skillman, Deputy Director |
phone: 206-685-6679 |
|
fax: 206-616-4768 |
Regional Information Center |
email: chws@fammed.washington.edu |
Center for Health Workforce Studies |
|
University of Washington |
Street address: |
Box 354982 |
4311 11th Avenue NE |
Seattle, WA 98195-4982 |
Suite 210 |
|
Seattle, WA 98105 |