The number of health care jobs in the state and Western New York in the last 10 years has increased substantially, but is decreasing in Chautauqua County.

According to a report from the New York State Comptroller’s Office titled “Vital Signs: Health Care Employment Gains Across New York State” the number of health care jobs has increased by 18 percent between 2007 and 2017, which is an increase of 216,000. Even in Western New York, the number of health care employees has increased by 17 percent while all other private sector job fields have decreased by .2 percent.

In Chautauqua County during the last 10 years, the number of health care jobs has decreased by .5 percent to a total of 6,376.

So why has the number of health care professionals increased statewide and in Western New York? Dr. Lillian Ney, a former cardiologist and medical director at the former WCA Hospital now known as UPMC Chautauqua, said the health care sector has provided a significant economic impact in the state during the last 10 years.

“One of the reasons is the increase in medical needs of the Medicare population and the Baby Boomers reaching an age when more health care is often needed. Medicaid has expanded as well. In New York, the increase in health care jobs is 18 percent and in Western New York the increase in the past 10 years is 16.7 percent,” she said. “In Buffalo, the medical corridor with its brand-new UB Medical School, and clustering of the new Oshei Children’s Hospital, Buffalo General Hospital, the Vascular Center and the renowned Roswell Part Institute, has and will continue to promote growth of health care jobs, encouraged by a revitalized city endowed with the Buffalo Billion, and significant recent philanthropy for the Medical School. The recruitment of excellent medical practitioners and research scientists has been facilitated in the past few years, adding to jobs in the health care sector.

Even though the number of health care jobs in the county has only decreased by .5 percent, Ney said that is a stark contrast to the statewide increase of 18 percent and the 17 percent growth in Western New York.

“One factor is data from the U.S. Census showing the rate of population decrease to be .68 percent since 2009 (in the county). In 2009, Chautauqua County’s population was 134,000. When last measured in 2016, it was 131,748,” she said. “We have been aware of a reduction of numbers of students in our high schools. Other factors contributing may well be physicians leaving the area, past years of a lack of focused, highly concentrated physician recruitment strategy, lower Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement rate in our area, more efficient delivery systems, improvements in technology, medical telemetry with the outsourcing of certain aspects of patient care, i.e. tele-radiology and other disciplines requiring out of area consultation when specialty physicians are not available locally.”

Christine Schuyler, county Health & Human Services director and social services commissioner, agreed with Ney that the decrease in the county’s population factors into why the county has fewer health care jobs.

“I can guess at a few things. For one, our population is declining and along with that is the need for a growth in health care workers,” she said. “I caution that with a consideration for our growing aging population, which could increase the need for nursing home and home health care workers. I also do not know if government employees are counted. If not, any physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, mental health clinicians, etc. working for county government would not be counted as health care workforce.”

Ney, who is the chairwoman for the Jamestown’s Health Care Action Team, said physician recruitment is a concern for Chautauqua County as well is the recruitment of other professional health care workers. The Health Care Action Team, also known as HCAT, is a subcommittee of the Jamestown Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission. HCAT was formed to focus on the impact of health care on development in the community, as well as accessible, high-quality health care for residents.

Since its formation in 2009, Ney said HCAT has concentrated on strengthening the working relations between all the organizations, groups and individuals and collaborating and partnering involved in the health care needs of the area. She said HCAT also strategically assessed and prioritized the health care needs.

” A strategy for Physician Recruitment, based on a prioritized need, using philanthropic funds to offer a recruitment incentive grant to health care organizations recruiting a new physician to our community,” she said. “Over time, HCAT implemented a ‘Grow Our Own’ program, identifying area youth interested in health care, supporting and encouraging them and HCAT members facilitated grant dollars used for health care internships. Shadowing programs and mentoring were also made available. Twice yearly receptions for area medical students are held and communications sent to an expanded list of area students on a health care track.”

Ney said HCAT’s result have been due to the networking and collaboration between the various partner members, which include, physicians; Jamestown City Council; Jamestown Area Medical Associates-Great Lakes Physician Practice; UPMC Chautauqua; The Resource Center; Chautauqua County Health and Human Services; Chautauqua County Department of the Mental Hygiene; the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County; Chautauqua Works; area community foundations; the Chautauqua County Health Network; Jamestown Community College; State University at Fredonia; Evergreen Health; and Belleview University.

Ney said the health care industry isn’t the only business sector that has a difficult time recruiting people to Chautauqua County.

“Numerous factors enter in, including our relatively rural environment, which many of us find beautiful, but is not always a draw for recruitment, although it is informative to recall that our tourism industry is growing and is an economic force,” she said. “This is the background for the HCAT spending a great deal of time and effort in the ‘Grow Our Own’ project, convinced that this will yield good results.”

Ney said the addition of UPMC, which officially merged with WCA Hospital in December 2016 to become UPMC Chautauqua, is also a positive for future health care job recruitment for the county.

“The presence of UPMC in our area market is having and will continue to have an influence on the delivery of health care in our area,” she said. “UPMC has a history of prestige and a commitment to high quality and an access to specialty care which will be significant advantage to our patients. Physician recruitment has been facilitated already and will continue to adjust to the need.”

Schuyler said she is optimistic that UPMC will increase the number of health care professionals in the county.

“I am hopeful that being part of a large, successful teaching hospital will bring new opportunities for many aspects of patient care including investments in areas such as physician specialists, ancillary staff, training programs, physical space, technology and equipment for the Jamestown area,” she said. “I believe that UPMC has demonstrated such positive contributions to the former Hamot Hospital (now UPMC Hamot). Physicians and other professionals will need to be licensed to practice in New York state, a major difference with other UPMC-affiliated hospitals and clinical sites in Pennsylvania.”

Ney said the presence of a Federally Qualified Health Care organization, the Chautauqua Center, now in a phase of growth in Jamestown, will also be an important part of health care delivery in the county as well.

“The (Chautauqua Center) is a community-based organization, funded by the federal government and provides primary care services in underserved areas,” she said. “The organization is growing, is filling a need and will add to the health care sector job numbers in our area.”