In her August 27 article, Robertson describes says the proposed clinics will offer a “convenient, less-expensive alternative to local emergency rooms,” particularly for patients who cannot wait for a doctor’s appointment, or who are without a general physician or health insurance.

Fair Oaks is the first community scheduled to receive a Doctors Express clinic in the Sacramento region. Set to open in early November, the clinic will offer routine medical care along with laboratory and X-ray services. The Fair Oaks and five additional Doctors Express clinics may also provide a number of medical assistant jobs in Sacramento.

In the Sacrament Business Journal feature, Justin Prillwitz, owner of the Sacramento regional franchise territory for Doctors Express, described one of the reasons for the growth of urgent-care clinics.

“As long as there are two-hour waits in emergency rooms, there is demand,” Prillwitz was quoted as saying.

The demand for urgent-care clinics also appears to be increasing along with the number of uninsured Americans. According to a survey released this June by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2008 to 2009 the number of adults in the country without health coverage increased by 2.9 million. This figure brings the estimated total of uninsured in the United States to a staggering 46.3 million.

According to Robertson, Doctors Express and urgent-care centers are “becoming a popular alternative to emergency rooms nationwide.” She cites figures from the Urgent Care Association of America in Warrenville, Illinois, that estimates the number of emergency rooms in the country is around 4,600, while the amount of urgent-care clinics totals 8,700. She also states that by the end of fiscal year June 30 around 300 urgent-care facilities opened across the country.

The expansion of Doctors Express and other urgent-care centers in Northern California may represent greater opportunities for medical assistant jobs in San Jose and other regions in the Bay Area. If you’ve thought of pursuing medical assistant jobs in San Francisco and elsewhere in the state, then see how Unitek can give you the professional training you need to become a part of this growing healthcare field.

For additional information on plans for the new Doctors Express clinics in Sacramento, please see:

http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2010/8/31/urgent-care-firm-to-open-6-clinics-in-sacramento-region.aspx

http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/08/30/story8.html

To read more about Doctors Express, please visit:
http://www.doctorsexpress.com

For details on the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, please go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/

To learn more about the Urgent Care Association of America, please see:
http://www.ucaoa.org/

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Described as the “the largest single-state grant award of its kind,” the California Telehealth Network is designed to allow for the safe, reliable and efficient digital transfer of patient information, medical data and other information to facilities that may currently lack the resources for such telemedicine networks, or are located in remote areas throughout the state. The CTN initiative aims to give healthcare professionals, including Sacramento medical assistants and other Bay Area medical assistants, a quicker way to access crucial patient records and other essential materials.

Governor Schwarzenegger shared his support and enthusiasm regarding the state’s innovative project at the recent program launch/press conference:

“California is always leading the way with the most innovative and new technology that is changing the future.  And, what we are launching today is a new era for health care. Through a simple broadband link, this state-of-the-art system will save lives by instantly connecting people from across the state, including underserved and rural areas, with the best and brightest doctors. The California Telehealth Network marks the beginning of a new digital highway that will fundamentally change the future of how health care is provided,” Gov. Schwarzenegger said.

Described as a $30 million “joint funding effort,” the CTN initiative involves a wide range of participants, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), UnitedHealthcare, the California HealthCare Foundation, the National Coalition for Healthcare Integration, and the University of California. Other public and private groups are also contributing to the extensive telemedicine project.

The newly launched CTN project will make the peer-to-peer sharing of medical information easier among the states millions of healthcare providers, from Los Angeles doctors, to San Jose medical assistants. California’s new telemedicine project is also one of 68 eMedicine programs already in place throughout the country.

The U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Assistant to President Barack Obama, Aneesh Chopra, also voiced support of the CTN initiative:

“With the $22.1 million in grant funding from the FCC, along with $3.6 million in matching funds from the CETF, the CTN will help improve access to quality healthcare in rural and medically underserved areas, over a secure, managed network enabling the delivery of emerging eHealth and telemedicine services,” Chopra said.

For additional information on the California Telehealth Network, please visit:

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/23899

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/statewide-california-telehealth-network-launches-100896904.html

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The Sacramento-based medical education institution will receive the funds through a research grant awarded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Plans for the $1 million include training representatives from participating organizations on effective culturally appropriate measures to reduce type-2 diabetes and obesity among members of Northern California Native American communities.

Native American communities set to participate in the research grant programs include the
Round Valley Indian Tribes of Covelo, California, and Mendocino County, as well as American Indian communities receiving medical service from the Northern Valley Indian Health, Inc., including groups in the Glenn and Colusa County, and portions of Tehama and Butte County.

According to recent studies conducted by researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine, over one-third of American Indian adults in the U.S. are considered obese—in comparison, around 22 percent of non-Hispanic whites fall into this category. The study also found that 68 percent of the adults from surveyed Native American communities are obese, while 24 percent of children ages 2-5 years old have body mass index measurements in the overweight range.

The study’s lead investigator, Dr. Dennis Styne, explained how the federal funding will provide a valuable opportunity for health experts to positively impact the Native American communities taking part in the two-year health initiative:

“This will be a unique situation in which university health researchers will collaborate with community members to teach them how to perform research on their own communities, to ensure that the research is culturally appropriate, acceptable and helpful,” stated Dr. Styne, the UC Davis School of Medicine’s Yocha Dehe Endowed Chair in Pediatric Endocrinology.

Obesity is linked to type-2 diabetes and other serious ailments like heart and kidney disease, nerve damage, blindness and early death. The UC Davis Medical Center describes obesity as a “disease of disparity” that effects greater numbers of people in ethnic minority and low-income categories.

Obesity-related conditions like diabetes reportedly affect 2.6 times as many American Indians as non-Hispanic whites. In Northern California’s Northern Valley and Round Valley Native American communities 11 percent of the population has type-2 diabetes.

Until the rates of diabetes, obesity and other complicated illnesses are reduced, Northern California communities will require the expertise of skilled and caring healthcare professionals, such as Sacramento medical assistants  and
San Francisco medical assistants. See how a quality training program at Unitek College can get you started on an in-demand career as a East Bay or San Jose medical assistant today!

For additional information on the UC Davis School of Medicine, Northern Valley Indian Health, Inc.,
National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, and the Round Valley Indian Health Center, please visit:

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medschool/

http://www.rvindianhealth.com/Universal/PageMain.cfm?p=10

http://nvih.org/

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In a statement issued on July 16, the CDPH gave precautions on preventing further spread of the blood-borne disease:

“With the first confirmed human illnesses from West Nile virus this year, we are intensifying our surveillance for the virus with the help of all counties,” said Dr. Mark Horton, Director of the California Department of Public Health. “The most important step people can take to prevent West Nile virus infection is to protect themselves from being bitten by a mosquito,” he advised.

First identified in Uganda in the 1930s and discovered in the U.S. in 1999, West Nile Virus is a disease typically transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Both people and animals are susceptible to contracting the illness. The effects of the disease are often mild and include symptoms like: abdominal and back pain, fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, loss of appetite, vomiting and sore throat. These unpleasant symptoms typically last between three to six days.

In rarer cases, West Nile Virus can lead to the development of serious neurological conditions such as meningitis or encephalitis. Elderly people, pregnant women and individuals with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to the more dangerous form of WNV. Signs of a possible WNV infection in need of immediate medical attention include: loss of consciousness, stiff neck, muscle weakness and confusion.

According to the CDPH, neither women from Stanislaus County required hospitalization, and both are recovering from their infections. In addition to these first human cases, WNV has also been reported in 19 California counties in 52 dead birds, six chickens, one squirrel and 107 randomly sampled mosquitoes.

The CDPH offers four tips, or “four Ds,” to all California residents and health professionals, including Bay Area Medical Assistants, to help prevent the spread of WNV:

1. DEET – Apply inspect repellent containing DEET, picaradin, lemon or eucalyptus oil or IR 3535. DEET can be used safely on infants and children 2 months of age and older.
2. DRESS – Covering skin reduces the risk of exposure to WMV-infected mosquitoes.
3. DAWN AND DUSK – Mosquitoes are especially prevalent during the early morning and evening. During these times, repellant and appropriate clothing can offer increased protection from mosquito bites.
4. DRAIN – Since mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water, draining it from swimming pools plant pots, tires, pet bowls and rain gutters can help reduce the mosquito population.

Outbreaks of West Nile Virus and other contagious diseases in California require increased care from skilled healthcare personnel like Sacramento Medical Assistants and San Francisco Medical Assistants. Discover now how Unitek College’s quality training program can get you started in this growing field.

For more information about West Nile Virus, please visit www.westnile.ca.gov.

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The article cites recent research conducted by Laurence Shatkin, a 30-year veteran of the career information field, and the prolific author of numerous employment resource guides, including “Best Jobs for the 21st Century,” “50 Best Jobs for Your Personality,” and “150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs.”

According to Shatkin, the Medical Assistant field is ranked eighth in a list of the 20 fastest-growing professional fields for women. Opportunities for Medical Assistants, such as San Francisco Medical Assistant jobs, are projected to increase 40% through 2018. This anticipated growth is likely to bode well for women professionals, who, according to ForbesWoman, make up 90 percent of the Medical Assistant field.

Shatkin is said to attribute the impressive growth of jobs in the Medical Assistant field, like San Jose Medical Assistant jobs, to the country’s significant population of aging baby boomers and the recently approved reforms to U.S. health care law; both factors are expected to contribute to the need for greater numbers of qualified Medical Assistant personnel throughout Northern California and the rest of the country.

Shatkin’s findings are based largely the analysis of data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor, which provides detailed job and salary descriptions for Medical Assistants and hundreds of other professions in its annual Occupation Outlook Handbook (OOH).

According to the most current information listed in government’s established career guide, the outlook for the Medical Assistant field is particularly strong:

“Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking medical assistants among the fastest growing occupations over the 2008–18 decade. Job opportunities should be excellent, particularly for those with formal training or experience, and certification,” states the U.S. Department of Labor in the 2010-2011 edition of its Occupation Outlook Handbook.

In addition to requiring greater numbers of Medical Assistants, the healthcare field and medical professionals will need skilled personnel who can perform a number of key administrative tasks (scheduling appointments, maintaining patient files and arranging laboratory services); as well as clinical duties (taking patient medical histories, preparing patients for exams, recording vital signs).

If you’ve considered exploring Medical Assistant Jobs in Sacramento, Santa Clara or elsewhere in the Bay Area, now may be the best time to start training for this exciting and rapidly-growing profession! Learn how Unitek College can help you get the quality training you need to start your new Medical Assistant career.

To learn more about ForbesWoman’s Top 20 Fastest-Growing Jobs for Women, please visit:

http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/19/job-market-growing-industries-employment-forbes-woman-leadership-most-secure-jobs.html?boxes=Homepagemostpopular

For information on the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, please see: http://www.bls.gov/oco/

And for additional details on Laurence Shatkin, please go to:
http://shatkin.com/default.aspx

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“You never know where your path is going to take you in healthcare, because there are just so many opportunities for growth.  People can continue to be practitioners or go into research. They can also go into the more entrepreneurial, business side of healthcare.”

Check here to read the full article

One of the more interesting parts of the article involves quotes about how the most sought-after medical professionals are multi-skilled workers who can do a variety of medical tasks.  The high demand isn’t allowing a lot of hospitals and medical organizations to wait for nurses and doctors to finish multiple years of schooling.  They need healthcare professionals now, making other health care careers all the more valuable and lucrative.

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