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Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX

Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX
Q2 2010 - Market Summary

The demand for health care workers in the Houston metropolitan area continue to fall slightly during the second quarter of 2010. Of note, the UT Medical Branch cut 360 prison health workers and the Village Healthcare Center laid off 120. On a positive note, The Heart and Vascular Hospital at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center is undergoing a $17 million expansion, which will add a dedicated radiology unit, a pharmacy, and dialysis unit.

On a comparative basis, the Houston health care labor market is now weaker than most other major metropolitan areas across the country. For the 2nd quarter of 2010, Houston registered an LMPI score of 38.3 compared to the national composite index of 58.6, down 5% from the prior quarter.



Q2 Workforce Announcements

EnTrust Immediate Care fills emergency niche immediately. June 18, 2010
 EnTrust Immediate Care is catering to patients looking for lower costs and shorter waits compared to standard emergency rooms or are struggling getting appointments with primary care physicians. EnTrust Immediate Care has come up with a medical business model based on charging about 20 percent of the average emergency room cost and discharging patients within an hour.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/06/21/story4.html

Clear Lake Heart and Vascular Hospital undergoes $17M expansion. June 3, 2010
The Heart and Vascular Hospital at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center is undergoing a $17 million expansion. The hospital will add a dedicated radiology unit with all digital diagnostics and ultrasound, including a new 64-Slice Cardiac CT– a new noninvasive cardiac imaging technology. A pharmacy will also be added to serve the needs of cardiovascular patients. A dialysis unit will be located in the expanded facility and respiratory therapy will relocate from its current first floor location at the main hospital to the renovated sixth floor.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/05/31/daily27.html
http://www.clearlakermc.com/heart-and-vascular-hospital-expansion-clear-lake-regional-medical-center-06032010.pdf

Memorial Hermann unveils new seniors’ hospital units. May 21, 2010
Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital has set up what it says is the first senior-focused emergency center in the state. The Senior Emergency Center has its own waiting room. In addition, the hospital has a new Senior Medicine Unit to admit patients age 55 or over, and a Senior Behavioral Care Unit for those with both behavioral and medical needs. The new units were unveiled this week.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/05/24/story9.html

UT Medical Branch to Cut 360 Prison Health Worker Jobs. May 19, 2010
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, which provides health care for prison inmates across Texas is laying off more than 360 workers, citing state budget cuts. The cuts will be effective on July 21 and the layoffs will include nurses, medical technicians and other employees at 86 facilities across the state.
http://www.kwtx.com/news/headlines/94257369.html?ref=369

St. Joseph Medical Center adds 24 ’smart’ beds to ICU. May 28, 2010
St. Joseph Medical Center on Tuesday replaced all the beds in its intensive care unit with 24 new “smart” beds. The new Hill-Rom TotalCare Connect beds are designed to improve the mobility of patients’ comfort and caregiver safety by using computer technology to capture comfort and safety data that helps with turning patients and getting patients out of bed safely.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/05/17/daily16.html

Village Healthcare Center lays off 120 employees. April 14, 2010
The Village Healthcare Center will lay off approximately 120 employees as part of an effort to change the focus of its operations.
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/04/12/daily32.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 Q2 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 6/28/2010

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 6/28/2010

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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