Providence Health expects to expand its local hospital staff by20 percent this year, and Valley Presbyterian Hospital predicts itspayroll will grow.
And medical centers operated by the University of SouthernCalifornia added 500 employees - mostly nurses - in 2009, and wantsto hire 400 more this year.
A forecast released this week by the Los Angeles County EconomicDevelopment Corp. predicted that health care will be among the firstsectors to rebound from the recession, and an informal survey oflocal hospitals indicates the recovery may already have begun.
'We're experiencing a hiring growth because our patient census isgrowing as well as our specialty services,' said Judith Maass, vicepresident and chief nursing officer at Valley Presbyterian Hospitalin Van Nuys, where 100 new nurses were hired last year.
'I personally don't think we're going to see a slowdown,' shesaid. 'The economy has really helped in converting part-time workersto full time.'
And as specialty services grow, hospitals will need moreemployees with various skills.
'It's not just nurses that are needed,' said Norma Resneder,senior vice president of human resources and organizationaldevelopment at nonprofit Valley Presbyterian. 'We need labtechnicians, X-ray technicians and billing clerks. It's a highpriority for us to fill these positions.'
Growth on the horizon
The California region of Providence Health & Services - whichincludes three hospitals in the San Fernando Valley and two in theSouth Bay - did not add staff in 2009, but expects that to changethis year, said Tom Wiseman, regional director of talentacquisition.
'Assuming the economic and political environments will notfurther erode, I believe we will see about a 20 percent increase innew hiring over 2009 mainly due to the expansion at Providence HolyCross Medical Center and projected growth in the Providence MedicalInstitute,' he said.
'If the environment improves, we may experience as much as a 25percent increase in new hiring for 2010.'
The new wing at Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills will meanan additional 200 to 250 jobs, mostly for registered nurses,officials said.
Other local hospitals continue to have openings. NorthridgeHospital Medical Center and Glendale Memorial Hospital have a totalof 80 vacancies, with positions ranging from admitting supervisor tospeech pathologist.
And hiring soared after the University of Southern Californiaacquired University Hospital and the Kenneth Norris Jr. CancerHospital from Tenet Healthcare Corp., officials said.
USC hospitals currently have 424 vacancies, say officials, whoexpect to see the work force swell by 5 to 10 percent this year.
'In the last 10 months, we have seen significant growth in ourpatient admissions and overall business,' Chief Human ResourcesOfficer Matt McElrath said in a statement. 'That means our workforce needs to expand in order to accommodate the growing demand forservices at our facilities.'
Operating at a deficit
Not every medical center is experiencing growth, said Jim Lott,executive vice president of the Hospital Association of SouthernCalifornia.
He noted that more than half of Los Angeles County's 72 hospitalsare operating at a deficit, and that two - including PacificaHospital of the Valley in Sun Valley - have declared bankruptcy.
In addition, nurses who once had the option of retiring early ortransferring to other medical centers are staying put longer,closing those wide doors of opportunity at some medical centerswhere a nursing shortage was predicted.
'Not all hospitals are recession-proof,' Lott said. 'Many morehave a hiring freeze.'
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