Health-care giant training laid-off workers for jobs

Monday, Dec. 24, 2001 | 10 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

The nation's largest hospital company and the U.S. Labor Department are teaming up and paying $10 million to train people who've lost their jobs, particularly after Sept. 11, to work in health care.

The partnership, announced Friday in Washington D.C., calls for Nashville-based HCA and the federal government to each pitch in $5 million.

The money will be used for scholarships and assistance for the government's training centers. Trainees must sign contracts agreeing to work for HCA the amount of time that they've received assistance.

The program will be offered immediately in six areas where large numbers of workers have been laid off since the terrorist attacks and where HCA has a strong presence: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.; and south Florida.

"First and foremost this could help workers dislocated as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks, and with the congressional inaction on the economic stimulus package, it's a superb opportunity for us to help individuals move into jobs in a high-growth sector of the economy," Emily Stover DeRocco, assistant secretary for the Labor Department's employment and training administration, said Thursday.

Jack Bovender, HCA's chief executive and president, said he came up with the idea after seeing announcements of post-Sept. 11 layoffs.

"It just seemed to me a natural to offer to people at this stage of life, where their careers have been disrupted, a chance to change direction, and to satisfy our own needs in the future," he said.

Ann Lynch, spokeswoman for HCA-owned Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, said Las Vegas isn't currently involved in the program because HCA doesn't have as strong a presence here compared with the other six states.

"The Labor Department picked the areas that had the most number of HCA facilities. In Denver, there are three or four HCA hospitals and in Dallas, there are several HCA hospitals," she said. HCA has two hospitals in the Las Vegas area, the other being MountainView, and is planning a third hospital.

"But the Labor Department is aware it has overlooked other areas that may be in need of assistance, so it has reserved some money for these areas," she said. "I don't know how much money has been set aside but Las Vegas is trying to see if there are opportunities for it to be part of this program."

The health care field is expected to face a severe shortage of workers over the next several years. For example, the national supply of nurses is predicted to drop 20 percent below minimum needs by 2020, resulting in a shortage of more than 400,000 registered nurses, HCA said.

"In Las Vegas, the greatest shortage we have is of registered nurses and special procedure technical workers like neonatal nurses, radiation and laboratory technical workers and special-procedure technical workers especially in the field of radiation medication," Lynch said.

The scholarships could be for as long as three years and apply to those who want to be registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, radiology technologists, surgical technicians and certified nursing assistants.

Although it's aimed at those who've lost jobs as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks, anyone can apply, Bovender said.

The scholarship program could help as many as 2,000 people earn two-year associate nursing degrees, based on rough calculations that tuition, fees and books would cost about $5,000 per student.

"If we have more demand than that, we may add more money to it. We're not locked in at $5 million. It's a starting point," he said.