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St. Louis, MO-IL

St. Louis, MO-IL
Q1 2011 - Market Summary



The near-term demand for health care workers in the St, Louis metropolitan area improved markedly during the first quarter of 2011. Of note, three organizations - BJC HealthCare, SSM Health Care and St. John’s Mercy Health Care currently account for just fewer than half of the 2,800 open health positions in the area. Also of note during the quarter, the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation has requested permission from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to shut down Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital, which has been operating in the red for more than a decade. Finally, Shriners Hospital for Children’s plan to build a new hospital at Washington University Medical Center has been delayed once again due to the economy.

On a comparative basis, the strength of the St. Louis metropolitan health care labor market, as measured by the HWS Labor Market Pulse Index, improved by 23% to 56.9 during the 1st quarter of 2011, and compares favorably with the national composite of 51.5 for the quarter.



Q1 Workforce Announcements

Kenneth Hall hospital slated to close. February 4, 2011
 The Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation has requested permission from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to shut down Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital. The hospital, which currently operates only an emergency department and a 39-bed mental-health ward, has been operating in the red for more than a decade. Kenneth Hall currently has about 100 employees.
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/print-edition/2011/02/04/kenneth-hall-hospital-slated-to-close.html

Looking for work? Health care is where the jobs are. February 4, 2011
Health-care organizations - BJC HealthCare, SSM Health Care and St. John’s Mercy Health Care - account for just fewer than half of the more than 2,800 positions available in St. Louis. Open jobs include both clinical and non-clinical posts, and range from business operations and IT posts to dietician and patient services representatives.
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/print-edition/2011/02/04/looking-for-work-health-care-is-where.html

Shriners Hospital project delayed, gets CON extension. January 3, 2011
Shriners Hospital for Children’s plan to build a new hospital at Washington University Medical Center has been delayed once again due to the economy. Shriners received a six-month extension on the project’s Certificate of Need (CON) from the state of Missouri to keep the project alive. The size of the project has not changed and is still expected to include 40 inpatient beds, four surgical suites and 30 clinic examination rooms.
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2011/01/03/shriners-project-delayed-con-extended.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 announced during Q1 2011.

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 St. Louis, MO-IL market.

Source: www.census.gov accessed 3/29/2011

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 St. Louis, MO-IL market.

Source: www.bls.gov accessed 3/29/2011

Additional Factors Influencing HWS Labor Market PulseTM Index

  • U.S. Census Bureau Population 2,816,710, #18 largest market
  • U.S. Census Bureau Population #130 oldest market
  • U.S. Census Bureau Population Growth 4.4%, #239 fastest growing market
   

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