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Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX

Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX
Q1 2010 - Market Summary

The near-term demand for health care workers in the Houston-Baytown-Sugarland metropolitan area weakened during the 1st quarter of 2010 but the demand for health care workers in the area remains positive and the number of workers required to meet announced expansion plans will likely exceed the number of announced positions eliminated or deferred.

Of particular note during the quarter, Spring Branch Medical Center announced plans to lay off 720 employees as part of its decision to cease inpatient operations on May 1. In other news, Harris County Hospital District announced that it will open a standalone Martin Luther King Health Center in southeast Houston in a few months and San José Clinic began serving uninsured patients in a new Midtown location.

Overall, the Houston health care labor market remains somewhat strong relative to a good portion of the rest of the country, registering a Q1 LMPI score of 40.1 vs. the national composite of 49.9.



Q1 Workforce Announcements

Spring Branch med center lays off 720, March 22, 2010
Spring Branch Medical Center Inc. is laying off a total of 720 employees as part of the hospital’s decision to cease inpatient services.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/03/22/daily4.html

Spring Branch hospital drops inpatient service. March 16, 2010
Spring Branch Medical Center Inc. will cease inpatient hospital operations on May 1.
Some 400 of the hospital’s 550 employees could be affected as a result of the decision, according to a hospital spokesperson. Center officials said they will work closely with affected hospital employees to determine career opportunities at other HCA affiliated facilities and with other employers.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/03/15/daily20.html

Help expands for area’s uninsured. February 13, 2010
San José Clinic - one of the nation’s oldest charity health centers and Houston’s largest full-time facility exclusively serving the uninsured - will treat patients in new Midtown digs. The Rose, which has offered breast health services for two decades, moved its Bissonnet center to a larger Bellaire address in October. And in a few months, the Harris County Hospital District opens a stand-alone Martin Luther King Health Center in southeast Houston. Providers will be able to treat nearly twice as many patients in the 64,000-square-foot building.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6865367.html

S. Montgomery County reports more jobs in January. February 12, 2010
While overall employment numbers are still down across the nation, major employers in South Montgomery County reported 230 more employees this January compared to the end of January 2009. St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital now has 980 employees, up from 884 in 2009. In addition, the new St. Luke’s Lakeside Hospital opened in September 2009, creating 143 more jobs, and bringing St. Luke’s total employment in the region to 1,123. Lone Star College System also made a number of new hires, now employing 1,011 in South Montgomery County, up from 844 in 2009.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/02/08/daily26.html

Previous market news


Hospitals and Health Systems


Source: US News & World Report



Education Program Expansions and Closures

No notable education program expansions or closures in Q1 2010.


Education Programs

Source: The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System


Health of the Local Economy

Lower home ownership rates reduce the impact of home price fluctuations and increase the willingness of healthcare employees to relocate for better job opportunities. Below are home ownership rates for the overall Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX market.

Source: www.census.gov accessed 3/18/2010

The recent rising unemployment rates create new demands for health services. Higher unemployment shifts the mix away from higher margin procedures to more primary care in the emergency room and critical care for conditions that should have been treated early at a primary care physician. In general, rising unemployment also reduces turnover and engagement of employed workers, while low unemployment tends to increase intra market churn. Below are unemployment rates for the overall Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX market.

Source: www.bls.gov accessed 3/18/2010

Additional Factors Influencing HWS Labor Market PulseTM Index

  • U.S. Census Bureau Population 5,728,143, #6 largest market
  • U.S. Census Bureau Population 309th oldest market
  • U.S. Census Bureau Population Growth 21.5%, #34 fastest growing market


   

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