INTRODUCTION
We now live longer and better than at any time
in history. In the year 2000, there were roughly
35.6 million Americans age 65 and older. By
2030, this number is projected to double to an
estimated 71.5 million. Death rates are down,
long-term disability is down, life expectancy is
the highest ever, and we are making progress
against chronic diseases like diabetes and
Alzheimer's which represent a growing threat,
not only to patients but to our ability to keep
health care affordable.
The Health Care Industry offers the opportunity
for the brightest doctors, nurses, ancillary care
givers, scientists, engineers, IT workers and
business leaders to work together to transform
the system beyond our wildest dreams. The
future of Health Care will include innovations in
medicines, technologies, and care giving, and
will assume an increasingly prominent role in
the way we improve the quality of care for
future generations.
However, discussions with the business
community reflect concern that demand for
innovators is greater than the supply. In Texas,
we have discovered a leak in the pipeline
between the number of students who enter
into college and the number who exit, which
results in costly loss of expenditures and leads
to a loss of skilled workers.
Since 1987, North Central Texas InterLink has
been the leader in industry driven labor market
forecasting for the North Central Texas region,
to help influence the future of career and
technical education programs at the secondary
and post-secondary levels which prepares
students for the workforce.
This is the second in a series of reports
produced by InterLink about future trends in
industries to help guide educators and students
toward the next wave of knowledge, skills and
technologies for education programs and
practices. Subsequent reports will be published
identifying the future of other industries.
Dallas County Community College District,
Health Careers Resource Center was a partner
with the endeavor and, Health Care Industry
Thought Leaders participated with the initiative
to identify future trends that will affect the
industry