Healthcare employment continues rising in the state, though economists are still unsure what precisely drives that growth to the levels observed.<\/p>\n
A state Bureau of Labor Statistics report released in May detailed that the Anchorage\u2019s healthcare employee ranks rose by 1,000 year-over-year. This high number could be a data flub, but it is consistent with the projections that Alaska\u2019s healthcare industry will continue its status as the largest job growth sector in the state. Despite links to population patterns and increased usage, state economists say healthcare industry job growth has an unknown, unquantifiable variable that contributes to Alaska\u2019s perpetual industry growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is interesting to note that healthcare employment in May grew by 1,000 jobs compared to May, 2015,\u201d reads the report. \u201cIt is unclear what has driven this sudden significant jump in healthcare employment and may be a data anomaly. This is a preliminary figure and subject to revision in next month\u2019s report.\u201d<\/p>\n
An Anchorage Economic Development Corp. forecast expected only 300 jobs in 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe health care sector is expected to add 300 jobs in 2016, up 1.6 percent, to a total of 19,100 jobs,\u201d according to the forecast. \u201cThis matches the estimated 300 jobs added in 2015.While health care employment has been on a growth trend for more than a decade, the rate of growth has been slowing since 2012.\u201d<\/p>\n
Healthcare has long been one of the steadiest growth industries in the state. Healthcare employment has more than doubled in Anchorage since 2000, rising to 19,500 by the end of 2015. Statewide, just less than 35,000 healthcare workers call Alaska home, nearly double the amount than in 2000, according to the studies.<\/p>\n
Apart from being the largest industry growth sector, Alaska healthcare employees also earn the biggest paychecks in the state.<\/p>\n
According to data compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, eight of the 10 top paying positions in the state are healthcare positions. Family and general practitioners get paid the most in Alaska, with an average annual salary of $235,600. Psychiatrists and obstetricians rank second and third with average annual salaries of $234,130 and $221,480, respectively.<\/p>\n
Nurse practitioners are the 26th highest paid group in the state with an average salary of $117,080. Registered nurses are the 77th highest, with an average salary of $88,510.<\/p>\n
Employment numbers rise in Alaska for a host of reasons, but none entirely explain why they continue to grow as fast as they do, according to economists. A few factors in particular could drive growth, including aging populations and changes in state healthcare policy.<\/p>\n
Typically, healthcare employment growth follows aging population growth, according to State of Alaska economist Caroline Schultz, who crunched the study\u2019s numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically it\u2019s been linked to 65 and older population,\u201d Schultz said. \u201cOur aging population is growing very quickly because we had a younger population than the nation as a whole. In a lot of ways we\u2019re kind of playing catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2000, Alaska had 626,932 residents. In 2015, the number had grown to 737,625 and the 2015 AEDC economic forecast is for Alaska\u2019s population to grow by 10 percent between 2012 and 2022. During the same period, however, Alaskans aged 65 and older will increase by 79 percent.<\/p>\n
While other job sectors are taking a hit due to Alaska\u2019s fiscal situation and declining oil prices, healthcare demands don\u2019t have the same dynamic. The state looks to healthcare along with retail as bright spots in an otherwise gloomy job growth outlook.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn most situations, demand for healthcare is pretty inelastic,\u201d said Schultz. \u201cWe expect that healthcare will be one of the last industries hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Becky Hultberg, executive director of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, said unpredicted increases in health care employment could be related to a bump in hospital usage over the last year, driven by an increase in coverage demographics.<\/p>\n
Gov. Bill Walker expanded Medicaid coverage to an additional 20,000-odd Alaskans by accepting federal funds via an executive order in July 2015. Hultberg said pent up demand could be responsible for more medical treatment and the medical workers needed to give it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing very high hospital census numbers,\u201d Hultberg said. \u201cHospital beds are full. Census numbers are trending high, at least in the Anchorage bowl. It\u2019s not clear why those numbers are so high. It could be again population. It could be Medicaid expansion. It\u2019s most likely related to demographics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hultberg said hospital utilization rose last summer due to drug-related emergencies, and the number haven\u2019t dipped to their pre-spike levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an increase utilization in the spice epidemic,\u201d said Hultberg. \u201cThose numbers haven\u2019t slid back down. I don\u2019t know I can highlight what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hultberg said the rise in hospital usage will naturally affect the workforce, but it doesn\u2019t coincide with a targeted recruitment campaign.<\/p>\n
William Smith, vice president of human resources at Alaska Regional Hospital, said he doesn\u2019t have the data for why hospitals have higher usage numbers, but that the higher patient census is opening up more positions at his hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s definitely affecting openings,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s creating great opportunity for recruitment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Healthcare employment numbers are expected to be the largest job growth sector well into the 2020s as the population ages.<\/p>\n
Schultz believes increasing health care employment could simply be part of Alaska\u2019s development process. With a substantial portion of the population out of reach of common healthcare options and a difficultly attracting and retaining workers, Alaska may be slowly coming to match per capita healthcare employment elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve essentially been underserved. We are just catching up to the level of healthcare people expect elsewhere,\u201d Schultz said.<\/p>\n
As recently as 2014, however, the per capita representation of Alaska healthcare workers was more than the national average.<\/p>\n
In 2014, there was approximately one U.S. healthcare worker per every 26 U.S. citizens, according to census records. In Alaska, the records show one healthcare worker per every 21 Alaskans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know exactly the answer,\u201d said Schultz. \u201cWhat\u2019s the right level of healthcare in Alaska? That\u2019s something we don\u2019t really know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 DJ Summers is a reporter for the Alaska Journal of Commerce. He can be reached at daniel.summers@alaskajournal.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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