Demand for health care professionals with expertise in long-term care (LTC) is rising, due to projected growth in the older population and the increasing burden of chronic disease. One way to meet this growing LTC workforce demand may be to employ more nurse practitioners (NPs) and/or physician assistants (PAs).

The United States may not be producing enough qualified doctors, nurses, specialists and health care workers to meet patients' needs, according to a body of Healthforce Center at UCSF research and a recent article from the Society for Human Resource Management.

In August, Healthforce Center released the second in a series of three reports on primary care in California, which projected a statewide primary care clinician shortfall in the next 15 years, with the most severe shortages in the Central Valley, Central Coast and Southern Border areas.

Healthforce Center Associate Director of Research Joanne Spetz, PhD, was interviewed for a nursing website (onlinefnpprograms.com) about her research on policies, politics and nursing practice that affect nursing leaders across the country. Below are excerpts from that conversation.

By Jackie Miller

As a community health worker (CHW) at Care Connections Program in Los Angeles County, Walfred Lopez acts as a liaison between patients and medical professionals to help people find resources and overcome challenges related to chronic conditions. He’s part of a growing movement of CHWs who joined together on June 19 for Healthforce Center at UCSF’s event that introduced Walfred to a broader picture of the CHW landscape.

“It’s a complete movement, and there are a lot of people involved. I can see the bigger picture now,” he said.

An independent study by Healthforce Center at UCSF has shown that California’s community paramedicine pilot projects have improved patient well-being and generated savings for insurers and hospitals.

As the health care system continues to undergo rapid change, the nature of nurses’ roles are changing as well, according to Healthforce Center faculty research. As the largest licensed health professional group in the US, nurses are four times more prevalent than physicians. They practice in nearly every setting of the health care system and many are poised to take on leadership roles.