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Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA
Q4 2011- Market Summary

The near-term demand for health care workers in the Pittsburgh metro area remained flat during Q4. Of note, Excela Health plans to double its presence in the Norwin Hills Shopping Center by adding physician offices and expanded medical imaging services at a place where Excela has an outpatient surgery center. West Penn Hospital also announced that will add 200 jobs and 300 beds as part of a revitalization project. Finally, UPMC is getting ready to open its UPMC East facility sometime early this year.

On a comparative basis, the Pittsburgh health care labor market remained inline with much of the rest of the country. Its Q4 LMPI score of 48.8, down 4% from the prior quarter, was just under the national composite of 52.9.

Q4 Workforce Announcements

Excela Health expansion adds to Pittsburgh’s busy eastern corridor. December 16, 2011
Hospital network Excela Health is expanding in a busy suburb that’s an easy commute Downtown and has been getting the attention of other health care providers.
Excela plans to double its presence in the Norwin Hills Shopping Center to 87,030 square feet by adding physician offices and expanded medical imaging services at a place where Excela has an outpatient surgery center. The expansion will mark a major shift for the hospital network in how its family doctors care for patients.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2011/12/16/excela-health-expansion-pittsburgh-east.html

West Penn Hospital will add 200 jobs, 300 beds. November 16, 2011
Between 300 and 350 rooms will be added to West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield as part of a revitalization project, creating up to 200 jobs.  Improvements will take place in three phases over the next six months, starting with reopening of the hospital’s emergency department in early 2012. The department will be completely renovated, including the addition of a fast-track patient triage system. The emergency department size will be increased to 24 beds to incorporate a new observation unit into the program to further expedite and improve patient care.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2011/11/16/west-penn-hospital-will-add-200-jobs.html

UPMC East plans moving forward. November 25, 2011
One of Monroeville’s biggest development projects in ages is almost finished, as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center prepares to open its new UPMC East hospital facility next year. Jobs include 400 staff positions within the hospital, along with the 300 construction workers who built it. UPMC projects employment at UPMC East could grow to 500 by 2013, depending on patient volume.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2011/11/25/upmc-east-plans-moving-forward.html

Previous market news

Hospitals and Health Systems

Source: US News & World Report

Education Program Expansions and Closures

No notable education program expansions and closures announced during Q4 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 Pittsburgh, PA market.

Source: www.census.gov accessed 1/1/2012


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 Pittsburgh, PA market.

Source: www.bls.gov accessed 1/1/2012

Additional Factors Influencing HWS Labor Market PulseTM Index

  • U.S. Census Bureau Population 2,351,192, #22 largest market
  • U.S. Census Bureau Population #17 oldest market
  • U.S. Census Bureau Population Growth -3.3%, #346 fastest growing market
   

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