Grant Regional Health Center CEO Nicole Clapp views the progress of the center's 70,000-square foot expansion from a patient room in the facility in Lancaster. The demand for health care is rising as baby boomers grow older, yet finding enough workers can be a challenge.
Wisconsin's growing worker shortage presents a particularly difficult challenge for the health care industry, especially in rural areas and at facilities that care for the elderly and disabled.
Bobbie McMahan, a registered nurse with Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster, wheels a monitor which enables patients to communicate remotely with doctors in Madison, one of many ways rural hospitals are addressing a worker shortage.
Emergency room nurses at the Grant Regional Health Center share a work station adjacent to construction walls as an expansion project continues at the center in Lancaster. The center allows nurses to work in multiple departments, one of many strategies to help attract and retain employees.
Projected future job openings in Wisconsin, ranked by sector
*Salary based on local government jobs
Source: Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Sector
Total new openings 2014-24
Percent growth in type of job
Wisconsin average annual wage (2016)
Health care and social assistance
51,854
13.4
$46,043
Accommodation and food services
21,580
9.6
$14,754
Financial activities
12,461
8.3
$72,705
Construction
11,989
11.7
$58,774
Wholesale trade
10,610
8.9
$63,179
Professional, scientific, and technical services
10,517
10.5
$69,986
Management of companies and enterprises
9,393
16
$95,854
Other services (except government)
8,754
5.6
$28,060
Retail trade
7,572
2.5
$25,965
Administrative and support
7,507
5.2
$29,556
Manufacturing
5,839
1.3
$55,348
Transportation and warehousing
5,816
5.6
$41,234
Educational services (private sector)
5,676
1.5
$50,196
Information
3,851
8.1
$69,240
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
3,101
7.4
$27,382
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
2,032
1.9
$33,784
Real estate and rental and leasing
1,568
6.5
$40,121
Mining
773
22.9
$61,870
Government*
-824
-0.5
$41,236
Utilities
-843
-8.2
$96,988
Projected future health care job openings in Wisconsin
Source: Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Grant Regional Health Center CEO Nicole Clapp views the progress of the center's 70,000-square foot expansion from a patient room in the facility in Lancaster. The demand for health care is rising as baby boomers grow older, yet finding enough workers can be a challenge.
Bobbie McMahan, a registered nurse with Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster, wheels a monitor which enables patients to communicate remotely with doctors in Madison, one of many ways rural hospitals are addressing a worker shortage.
Emergency room nurses at the Grant Regional Health Center share a work station adjacent to construction walls as an expansion project continues at the center in Lancaster. The center allows nurses to work in multiple departments, one of many strategies to help attract and retain employees.
