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Health Professions Tracking Service |
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Testimonials & Impacts We work hard to assure accurate information & provide valuable services to positively impact professionals and state residents...
Wyoming Healthcare Commission Press Conference ∼ December 11, 2006
"We will use this to move our policy discussions from anecdotes to actual data," Freudenthal said. "There is always a concern about the availability of health care, the cost of health care and the reliability of health care." "All too often, we are influenced by insufficient information and rumor when making healthcare policy decisions," Wyoming Governor Freudenthal said. "Whether it is pinpointing the training programs we need, or examining our ability to deliver services in our most rural areas, this information can be a critical piece to better decision-making." The handbook was developed in cooperation with the Health Professions Tracking Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. ~The Associated Press. Published December 12, 2006 "The Legislature asked the commission to help them make data-driven decisions related to our healthcare work force,' Roberts said. "This is a snapshot of what we've gathered to respond to that need." "There has never been a data set like this before", said Dixie Roberts, the Commission Chair. ~ The Associated Press. Published December 12, 2006 Sen. Charlie Scott said he wants to use state money to help more Wyomingites become dentists by purchasing 10 spots in dental schools in Nebraska. He said this project would cost about $4 million over two years and help alleviate the shortage of dentists in the state. Scott now believes he has the data to back up the proposal after the Wyoming Healthcare Commission presented its Statistical Handbook on health professionals in the state to Gov. Dave Freudenthal at a press conference Monday evening in Casper. "We have had anecdotes and our own experiences saying that we are short," Scott said about the state of dental care in Wyoming. "This is significant. It says we do not have enough dentists." Scott said this is a problem that will get worse if nothing is done. He said the data in this book will be especially helpful when he presents health care bills to the Joint Appropriations Committee for funding. ~ Jackson Hole Star Tribune, December 12, 2006 "It was nice to be able to eliminate the anecdotal information we've been dealing with in last couple of years and have real data," said Beth Worthen , Assistant Director of the Healthcare Commission.
The center has drawn praise from federal officials, including Dr. Ed Thompson, chief of public health practice at the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention. "They have near current, not just mailing addresses, but e-mail addresses and fax numbers ... and other means of quickly reaching their health care professionals," Thompson said. Thompson saw the Nebraska center shine during the flu vaccine shortage of 2003. The center, through the HHS broadcast system, was able to alert medical workers around the state about the shortage at a speed that impressed Thompson. State health officials were able to see where in the state vaccine was lacking, where it was in higher supply, and then made arrangements to reallocate it.Thompson said the CDC often recommends the Nebraska center to other states looking to track their health care professionals. ~ Ed Thompson MD,Chief of Public Health Practice CDC Public Health Programs & Services “I think that all of the other states that we visit have a very high bar that they’re going to have to reach to compare to the work we’ve seen done here in Nebraska.” ~ Joseph Hendersen, Associate Director CDC Office of Terrorism Preparedness & Response "They clearly, I think, are in the forefront," said Edward Salsberg, director of the Center for Workforce Studies at the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington. "They are definitely a model for the other states." The comprehensiveness of the center's database sets it apart from others, Salsberg said. ~ Edward Salsberg, Director of the Center for Workforce Studies Association of American Medical Colleges
“Collaboration between the UNMC Health Professions Tracking Center and the state's Health Alert Network for rapid notification of bioterrorism-related or emergency preparedness information. The system was critical in surveying Nebraska physicians to find unused influenza vaccine doses that could be redirected to vulnerable populations.” ~ Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman
“Word came in at 10 on a Saturday night and within one hour of finding out about the SARS outbreak in Canada,” said Dr. Schaefer, “we had sent out an alert to every physician and medical facility across the state.” Dr. Schaefer noted the extensive work UNMC officials have done to create the Health Professions Tracking Center and continue to do to keep it up-to-date. “This important database of phone numbers, e-mail addresses and physical addresses of health professionals across the state would not be possible without the help of UNMC. This can be comforting to people in the event of a public health threat,” ~ Joann Schaefer, MD, Chief Medical Officer Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Human Services
"The HPTC assists the NeHHS Office of Rural Health in determining shortage areas which then impacts our programs to make placements in underserved areas. Our office would not be able to accurately define state & federal shortage areas without this type of information, and millions of dollars in federal resources would be lost.” ~ Thomas Rauner , DHHS Office of Rural Health
Million Dollar Impact - View NE State Primary Care Physicians Shortage Areas impacted by using HPTC information. "Alegent Health has been using the HPTC data for a number of years and finds it extremely useful in staying abreast of health professionals located in our primary and secondary markets." ~ Mike Votek, Planning Analyst, Alegent Health Right Track "HPTC information has been very important for our strategic planning process. We use the data to prepare physician supply & demand estimates by specialty and assess the competition present in the Omaha-metro area. It also allows us to identify hospital affiliations and group physicians by practice for a better understanding of our market." ~ Jeff Prochazka, Methodist Health System "Dental practitioner survey data has been used to identify current & projected workforce shortage areas, which has motivated dental training programs to focus training efforts to serve underserved populations." ~ Thomas Rauner , DHHS Office of Rural Health & Primary Care The Nebraska Pharmacist Association contracted with the HPTC to survey pharmacists and in their letter to the Nebraska Rural Health Advisory Commission, the NPA requested a change to the guidelines that reflect the full-time equivalency data now available. 2) Add another high need indicator of “if more than half of the area’s population are over 60 years old” ››Motion carried unanimously… 13 additional counties were designated as shortage areas.
Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research
2007 HPTC Directory of Nebraska & Western Iowa Healthcare Resources Testimonials Top of Page HPTS Home Key Services Contact Us
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