A healthy healthcare economy

Lane County is a regional center for health care in Oregon where patients from outside the county consume services. The county’s concentration of health care employment is higher than both Oregon and the nation. Among the top high-wage, high demand occupations are registered nurses, medical assistants, dental assistants, and nurse practitioners. Health care is undergoing dramatic shifts in terms of its workforce needs. There is a greater focus on patient engagement and empowerment, health promotion, disease prevention, population health, team-based care among providers, and coordinated care across health care organizations.