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20 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comLaboratory Science WorkforceShortage Affected ByBaby Boomer ExitsASCP weighs in with position and surveyOften dubbed the “hidden healthcare profession,” medical laboratory scientiststoil away in hospital labs, clinics and private practices. They run pertinent diagnostictests, draw blood and examine specimen samples. They are usually the first tospot abnormities in, and as such, are a key element in the healthcare team. In manycases, lab services make up about five percent of a hospital’s budget, but leverage70 percent of all critical decision-making.Despite robust career opportunities and a decent national average salary, theprofession continues to struggle with a workforce shortage. According to the 2009American Society for Clinical Pathology Wage and Vacancy Report, there are variousreasons for this shortage: laboratory science educational programs are shuttingdown, a lack of exposure and awareness about the profession and a highturnover rate in some areas.Another workforce shortage issue is babyboomer retirement. Thirteen percent of the currentlaboratory staff is likely to retire in the nextfive years, according to the survey. Hiring qualifiedstaff to replace baby boomer workers willprove tough with fewer becoming trained. TheU.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesreports that by 2012, 138,000 lab professionalswill be needed, but fewer than 50,000 will betrained. And as boomers hit their highest healthcareconsuming years, an increasing number oflaboratory tests will exacerbate the need fortrained laboratory professionals.“The average age of the laboratory workforceMark H. Stoleris about 50 and each year steadily increases,” said ASCP President Mark H. Stoler.“ASCP is taking steps to mitigate the baby boomer exodus from the profession.We are raising awareness in the media and on Capitol Hill, National Medical LaboratoryProfessionals Week recognizes the superb work being done in the labsacross the country and our new Ambassador Program taps newer professionals toshare their passion for the profession with pre-college students.”A graying workforce presents other issues because they tend to generally leavethe work force through retirement faster than younger health personnel and aremore susceptible to adverse health and safety risks associated with shift work.OTHER ASCP WAGE & VACANCY STATS ON THE SHORTAGE INTHE NORTHEAST: Eight out of 10 hospitals (83 percent) and high-volume test sites (85 percent)reported difficulties in filling staff level MT positions. Retirement projections for the Northeast region is better than other regions,but is still projected to be around 6 percent in the next five years due to babyboomer retirement. Overall, 42 percent of labs in the Northeast are having difficulty hiring certifiedlaboratory professionals.The ASCP Wage and Vacancy Report can be viewed at http://www.ascp.org/pdf/Membership-Communications/Wage-and-Vacancy-Survey.aspx.For the ASCP position on the medical laboratory workforce shortage, visithttp://www.ascp.org/pdf/MedicalLaboratoryPersonnelShortage.aspx.Alcohol Addiction Among theBaby Boomer GenerationBy Neil CaprettoNot only are baby boomers America’s largest generation,they are one of the fastest growing groups facingalcohol addiction. For those born between 1946 and1964, the need for addiction treatment is expected tonearly triple by 2020, according to the Substance Abuseand Mental Health Services Administration (SAMH-SA). SAMHSA also reports that although problemdrinking rates have dropped sharply among generationsin the past, researchers believe baby boomers’ habitsmay not decline as much, given their generation’s social acceptance of alcohol.Although the heaviest drinking usually takes place among those 18 to 30 yearsof age, baby boomers who are consistently binge drinking may face more serioushealth problems than their younger counterparts simply because their bodies donot have the same tolerance level at an older age. For instance, three drinks at age45 may have a greater negative effect than 10 drinks at age 25. On top of that,many boomers take a variety of prescription medications. When these medicinesare combined with alcohol, it can be a recipe for disaster.Many people are able to drink alcohol responsibly without having problems. Yetfor 18 million Americans, alcohol use is a serious problem, according to theNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). Of the totalnumber of people who drink alcohol, about 15 percent will become alcoholdependent at some point in their lives.Risk factors for late onset alcohol addiction include a family history of alcoholism,loneliness and boredom as well as a variety of life changes such as retirement,divorce, unemployment, “empty nest syndrome,” financial losses in thestock market or death of a spouse. In addition, many boomers are facing highstress levels because they have to care for aging parents while they raise and supporttheir own children. In other cases, boomers want to reward themselves byindulging in alcohol as a way to relax. Nevertheless, one or a combination of thesefactors can spark a return to their younger “glory days” of binge drinking or bringto the surface a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.People should seek professional help if they are unable to control the amountand frequency of their alcohol use despite repeated negative consequences. Peopleoften want to deny their problem and rationalize with statements such as “It’s notthat bad” or “I don’t drink as much as someone else I know.” Yet, a slippery slopebegins when individuals are not honest with themselves and turn to alcohol as asolution for their problems.To stress the serious nature of alcohol abuse, NCADD has been sponsoringApril as “Alcohol Awareness Month” since 1987. Alcohol Awareness Month is anational campaign encouraging local communities to focus on alcoholism andalcohol-related issues through prevention efforts and screenings.The simplest alcoholic screening test is the CAGE Questionnaire, which wasdeveloped by John Ewing, M.D. The following four questions are used by manyhealthcare professionals to quickly assess an individual’s potential drinking problem.Two or more “yes answers” are highly suggestive of alcohol dependence. Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking? Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking? Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves orto get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?Alcohol addiction is a disease that does not discriminate. It can affect anyoneregardless of age, race, religion or socioeconomic status. The good news is individualsand families can have hope knowing that addiction is a treatable disease.It is important that all individuals facing the disease of addiction—includingbaby boomers—choose a treatment program that holistically treats the biological,psychological, social and spiritual needs of its patients. To learn more about thetreatment options available through Gateway Rehab, call 800-472-1177 or visitwww.gatewayrehab.org. For information about recovery support services, individualscan contact Alcoholics Anonymous at www.aa.org and families can contactAl-Anon/Alateen at www.al-anon.org.Neil Capretto, D.O., F.A.S.A.M., is the medical director at Gateway RehabilitationCenter. For more information, visit www.gatewayrehab.org or call 1-800-472-1177.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips? Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com
Issue No. 5 | 21wpahospitalnews.comBaby Boomers Facing Emotional Challenges as They AgeBy Vanessa OrrAs baby boomers age, many are finding it hard to imagine that they are, in fact,getting older. The generation that gave us the phrase “Don’t trust anyone over 30”is now well on the other side of that milestone. And while some are handling theaging process with grace, others are fighting it every step of the way.Regardless of how old baby boomers think they are, the passage of time doescause both physical and mental changes. It also causes a shift in responsibilities,most notably for boomers who are no longer “children of the 60s,” but are insteadcaregivers for elderly parents.“One of the biggest issues that boomers are struggling with is how to allowaging parents to remain as independent as they can be, but still provide them withthe care they need,” explained Kristy Wright, president and CEO, VNA (VisitingNurses Association) of Western Pennsylvania and author of the book If I Were anOnly Child. “In the previous generation, aging parents more often than not movedin with their kids, but boomers are not as accepting of this; they want to take careof their parents, but they don’t want to live with them.Stefanie Small (standing right), a geriatric social worker at JF&CS, assistsa Brain Builders Club participant during the program's computertraining class.“You’re still a child to your parents, even if you’re in your 50s,” she added. “Andbecause boomers tend to be ‘get it done’ types, they may try to make decisions forparents without involving the parents in their decisions, which can make parentsdig in their heels.”Being a caregiver to aging parents, and often to their own children as well, cancause boomers a lot of stress, according to Stefanie Small, LCSW, a geriatricsocial worker for Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh, an organizationthat helps older adults remain safe and comfortable in their own homes byproviding care coordination, caregiver services, in-home counseling, supportgroups, family consultation, information and referrals. “As the sandwich generation,baby boomers often have two sets of people to take care of,” Small said. “Thegood news is that unlike earlier generations, most boomers are very good aboutplanning; they don’t wait for a crisis to deal with it. We get a lot of calls fromboomers who say that mom or dad is alright now, but they know it won’t alwaysbe that way, so they want to know what their resources are ahead of time.”Wright adds that creating a ‘family council’ can also help reduce stress. “Figureout what each person can do and what resources they have,” she said. “Somefamily members can contribute time or money; others may commit to making surethat mom or dad gets to doctors’ appointments. You have to take into considerationwhat each person is able to do—not what you think he or she should do. Be acceptingof what others bring to the table and you can make it work.”A lot of anxiety that boomers feel as they age revolves around medical issues,especially in this time of ever-changing health reform. “Boomers today are anxiousabout the future in ways that former generations were not,” said Small. “Willthey be able to access the healthcare that they thought they could expect? Will theyneed to ration pills, or be able to see specialists when they need them?”Even facing physical limitations, many boomers are also in denial about gettingolder. “Boomers don’t want to age, and they don’t see themselves as aging as evidencedby the amount of plastic surgery they undergo and other types of attemptsto stay young,” said Wright. “We are ayounger generation than our parents were atour age; we have a better health status thanour parents. The result of staying healthierlonger, however, is that it will result in hugesocial and economic issues.“If all boomers decided to retire at once,we would have 75 million people leaving theworkforce in a 10-year span, which would bedevastating to the work environment,” sheadded. “At VNA, the average age of our nursingstaff is 48, and we’re not seeing an influxof younger nurses. This means that we wouldlose 70 percent of our workforce in a fiveyearperiod.”An early retirement is not in the cards formany boomers, however, as the result of an Kristy Wrightimmediate gratification mindset and a turbulenteconomy. “While some retirees are out to spend the money they saved, manyboomers did not save,” said Wright. “Some who had the ‘I want what I want now’mindset did not save for retirement because they would not acknowledge that theywere getting older. While this is troubling, one benefit may be that there won’t bea huge exodus of the workforce of people retiring at 62, 65 or even 70.”Money woes can cause anxiety in boomers, just as it does in any generation.“Many boomers put away money in 401Ks and investments, and then got sockedwhen the market fell,” said Small. “They thought they would retire and cruise theworld, and now the money’s not there. They thought the Dow would never drop.”According to Small, even those boomers who are lucky enough to retire mayfind themselves becoming sad or depressed. “Boomers are at the age when theyare looking back and asking themselves, ‘Did I accomplish everything I wanted todo?’ and ‘How much more time do I have to do what I set out to do?’ While thesepeople may not be clinically depressed, they are feeling blue.“People often feel like they have no identity once they’ve retired if their liveswere wrapped up in their jobs,” she continued. “They need to establish a new identityand learn new skills. This will not only help them to connect to the outsideworld, but will also make a big difference in self-confidence. When you feel goodabout yourself, depression and anxiety are reduced. It helps to realize that there aregood things waiting in the future.”As boomers age, they are also faced with their own mortality, even if they refuseto acknowledge it. “Grief in any form, such as the loss of a person, a home, or eventhe ability to perform certain tasks, must be dealt with,” said Small. “When you’velost something in life, you can’t bury the emotion; otherwise, it becomes morecomplex grief later on. What you’ve lost is a part of who you are.”Counseling can help many people, as can facing the issues that come with gettingolder instead of living in denial. “It’s just like having a GPS system; when youfind that you’re going the wrong way, you have to reprogram yourself,” Small said.“Maybe you have to change your plans, but boomers are up to the challenge.Boomers are the most resilient generation that has ever been.”To learn more about Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh, visitwww.jfcspgh.org or call 412-422-7200. To reach VNA, call 800-245-3042 or visitwww.vna.com.
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McKeesport Hospital Foundation holds 33rd annual Invitational ...

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