July 5, 2019 3:50 a.m.
Oregonians for Rural Health and its coalition partners have announced that the Oregon State Legislature has approved $10 million in state bonding to help fund the construction of the Southern Oregon Medical Workforce Center in Roseburg.
The center is being developed with George Fox University, and will offer advanced degrees in multiple allied and mental health fields to connect people to high wage jobs and create economic growth and stability across the region, according to the group’s release.
Kelly Morgan, CEO of CHI Mercy Health and co-chair of Oregonians for Rural Health said “healthcare is vital to our local communities and the region”. He said the demand for healthcare has steadily grown over the years, and along with it, the need for skilled providers. Morgan said that southern and rural Oregon face growing allied and mental health workforce shortages that pose serious healthcare access issues. He said that “building the Southern Oregon Medical Workforce Center will provide a regional pipeline of skilled healthcare providers to better ensure access to services”.
The Roseburg VA Medical Center, a principal partner in the initiative, provided testimony to the legislature indicating that many of its allied health positions are difficult to fill and that “veteran access to primary, specialty, and mental health care, can be increased if we could establish and maintain a professional workforce of healthcare workers”.
State Senator Dallas Heard said local hospitals and the VA have struggled with job vacancies that make it impossible to keep up with demand. Heard said that “investing in healthcare creates good paying jobs, supports local employers, and makes the area a better place to live”.
State Representative Gary Leif said there are simply not enough students graduating from existing state programs, nor are there enough professionals being recruited from urban areas and out of state to fill growing healthcare job vacancies.
The release said it is estimated by the Oregon Employment Department that close to 50,000 healthcare jobs will be added across Oregon through 2027. In many occupations, increased job vacancies are due to high attrition from baby boomers that are entering retirement.
Morgan said securing state funding is a “major milestone”. He said the project’s continued progress is a direct result of ongoing support from Douglas County, the City of Roseburg, the Roseburg VA, Umpqua Community College, the Umpqua Economic Development Partnership, plus many other groups across the region and state.