WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a national study, over half of health workers today are likely to pursue an advanced degree, with current and future trends indicating that one in four are likely to enroll. The Educational Needs Assessment was conducted by GlobalHealth Education (GHE), a premier provider of online learning services and technology solutions for healthcare and higher education.
"The steady growth of jobs in the health sector provides a backdrop for healthcare workers to be much more bullish when it comes to investing in education," said Deborah Kann Schwarzberg, CEO and founder of GlobalHealth Education. "This is in stark contrast with mainstream education trends reflecting recession-worn consumers weary of going back to school only to continue being unemployed or underemployed."
The study, completed on behalf of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), the nation's second-largest, faith-based health system with close to 70,000 employees, was the first step in a strategic partnership with GlobalHealth Education to provide CHI with a plan to assist employees in achieving their professional development goals through higher education.
"At CHI, we are invested in the continued educational advancement of our staff and its impact on the delivery of quality patient care and continued development of clinical leadership," said Pat Patton, vice president of Clinical Leadership Development with Catholic Health Initiatives. "We take great pride in the way our staff has embraced advancement at all levels and are excited to partner with GHE. This collaboration will provide our staff with a single point of access to various online degrees from multiple traditional universities that specifically fill our needs and meet our values."
The evaluation concluded that nearly 80 percent of the 4,755 CHI employees surveyed place a significant value on earning a degree, with 71 percent preferring online programs and 68 percent willing to fund a portion of the degree themselves. In contrast to consumers outside of the healthcare sector, increased earnings were not as strong a motivating factor as career advancement and serving as a positive role model for others.
"While the sector statistics are compelling, the fact remains that the demand for well-prepared healthcare professionals is outpacing supply. Healthcare organizations like CHI must aggressively grow their talent pool from within," said Schwarzberg. "Having created a well-balanced ecosystem of healthcare employers and traditional universities, GHE is uniquely positioned to drive career advancement across the medical marketplace."
About Catholic Health Initiatives
Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) is a national, nonprofit health system with headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 76 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted, and residential living facilities; two community health services organizations; two accredited nursing colleges; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2011, CHI provided more than $612 million in charity care and community benefits system wide, including services for the poor, free clinics, education, and research. With annual revenues of more than $10.5 billion, CHI is the nation's second-largest Catholic healthcare system. http://www.catholichealthinit.org
About GlobalHealth Education
GlobalHealth Education (GHE), a subsidiary of MedVue Holdings, LLC, is a premier provider of online learning service and technology solutions for both traditional universities and healthcare providers worldwide. Bridging healthcare and academia, the Company offers online degrees through multiple university partners that are designed to deliver graduates prepared to meet the global demand of healthcare employers. While the Company's infrastructure offers a turnkey solution for online education, GlobalHealth Education's Learning Management System (LMS) and its services are at the forefront of online healthcare education; the largest and fastest-growing sector in global education, which is poised to grow exponentially for decades to come. www.globalhealtheducation.com.
Media Contact:
Enid Atwater, for Global Health Education
Venue Marketing Group
(561) 844-1778, ext. 21
Media Contact:
Michael Romano – Catholic Health Initiatives
National Director, Media Relations
Catholic Health Initiatives
michaelromano@catholichealth.net
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