The Penn Foster Blog

As the United States slowly recovers from the economic impact of the pandemic, adding 379,000 jobs in February, displaced workers – the still 6.2% of Americans that are currently unemployed – are searching for new, stable opportunities. One sector that continues to need more trained, qualified applicants is the healthcare industry. While healthcare has historically been a growing industry, as vaccine distribution ramps up, clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and physician’s offices will need more help than ever. But how can we rapidly prepare workers to meet the demand? That’s where colleges and training organizations come in.

Across the country, the vaccination roll out plans have ranged from highly successful for some states, to nearly abysmal for others. With President Biden promising that all adults in the United States will be able to receive a vaccination by May, states and vaccine providers are pressed to ramp up distribution. In order to meet the demand, pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics will need more help than ever to get shots into arms.

A thriving veterinary practice owner or manager knows that success comes from a combination of good medicine and good business. A strong veterinary healthcare team, from veterinary assistants and credentialed veterinary technicians to veterinarians, can grow your practice – providing quality care while increasing your bottom line. Part of creating an effective team is utilizing veterinary technicians and other staff to their full potential, which includes ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to educate clients. With pet insurance becoming more prevalent, your veterinary technicians should be familiar with what it is, how it works, and how to talk about it with clients.

As pet ownership continues to increase and current clients are seeking more wellness visits, many overwhelmed veterinary practices are struggling to accommodate appointments. This influx of new patients has put more stress on veterinary healthcare teams, contributing to an already high rate of burnout or compassion fatigue for working veterinary technicians and assistants. One way to address this issue is through increased veterinary technician utilization. Penn Foster recently hosted a roundtable discussion with industry thought leaders Liza Rudolph from East Coast Veterinary Education, Liz Hughston, President of the National Veterinary Professionals Union, and Julie Legred, co-owner of Veterinary Advancements and Vet Team Global Stream, to glean insight into proper utilization and how it can have a positive impact on productivity, client care, and the veterinary team as a whole. Here’s what we learned.

Jobs within the manufacturing industry have undoubtedly changed a great deal. From innovations in technology and automation to the impact of artificially intelligent solutions on efficiency, this is an industry with a long history of adapting to fit the mold of ever-changing needs and possibilities. As we look towards the future, it’s important to note the specific changes we’re seeing as we consider how to most efficiently prepare today’s workforce to meet the impending needs of tomorrow.

The current Director of Talent Management and Organizational Development at UPMC, Tony Gigliotti, recently sat down with us to share his expertise from his 25+ years of experience in human resources within the healthcare industry.

Even before the pandemic fundamentally changed the healthcare industry, qualified medical assistants were in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 19% growth in jobs, adding 139,200 new roles by 2029. After almost a year of battling the spread of COVID-19, with vaccines rolling out across the country, trained medical assistants are more vital to healthcare than ever. Offering industry-aligned, accelerated training options for those interested in joining the field can not only quickly increase enrollments at colleges and universities, it can also provide a pathway to certification for learners.

2020 was the busiest year in history for hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers who worked nonstop around the globe to face their biggest challenge yet. The grit and determination displayed by nurses, doctors and healthcare workers is little surprise, and our data shows that thousands more are stepping up to meet the challenge, and employers are supporting them.

Has the importance of employee upskilling changed as a result of the pandemic? What can managers do to position their veterinary staff for growth? We spoke with Melissa J. Supernor, LVT, CVT, VTS (SAIM), a long-time learning and development strategist and instructor, to learn about why she loves her work and what practices need to consider as they think about the long-term success of their business.

As the United States continues to roll out the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccines, trained pharmacy technicians will be vital to the process. As of early January, over 30 million vaccine doses have been distributed to immunization providers across the county. But many don’t have the manpower to vaccinate patients and see to business as usual, contributing to the slower-than-desired vaccination rates across the country. Retail and privately owned pharmacies, however, have found a solution: hiring more pharmacy technicians.