Nashville's Health Care IT Companies Struggling to Find Employees

Thursday, September 30, 2010.

Nashville Business Journal - by April Wortham Staff Writer

Read more: Nashville's health care IT companies struggling to find employees - Nashville Business Journal 

Middle Tennessee health care executives say they are struggling to find information technology professionals to support the rapid changes transforming health care and the way they do business.

“By necessity, we at times are using a lot of contractors and folks to fill in temporarily,” said Kyle Duke, chief information security officer at Franklin-based HealthSpring Inc. “Just finding the talent level to fill those gaps is sometimes challenging and continues to be a challenge.”

It's Official, The Rush for Talent Has Begun

Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
By Tiffany Crenshaw

In recent weeks a number of existing and prospective clients have called me for a pulse on the healthcare IT recruitment marketplace and thoughts on how to attract quality resources. After a number of such calls, I decided to put my thoughts in writing and share.

Let’s start with the good news --- industry hiring is definitely picking up and employed candidates are now less afraid to make a career change then they were three to six months ago.

As for hot products, it’s no secret that EPIC is hot, hot, hot. Hospitals are purchasing EPIC left and right. Honestly, there are simply not enough EPIC resources, especially EPIC-certified resources, to go around, so the talent war is raging. Cerner recruitment remains modest but steady while McKesson needs are starting to rebound after quite a lull. In the ambulatory market we are seeing more and more requests for eClinicalWorks and Allscripts. New names like Sage and Greenway are coming to light. And occasional Meditech, Siemens, IDX/GE and Eclipsys needs are surfacing. On the integration side, Cloverleaf and e-Gate skills are still in demand, but we are seeing more requests for web-based and lesser known products like Ensemble, Symphony and Rhapsody.

Tidewater Community College to kick off HIT program

Thursday, September 23, 2010.
by Molly Merrill, Associate Editor of Healthcare IT News
HAMPTON ROADS, VA – Tidewater Community College (TCC), one of five health IT education consortiums in the U.S., is launching its Health Information Technology (Health IT) Workforce Development Program next week.

To kick off the six-month HIT program, college officials said “critical” orientation sessions will be held on Sept. 28 and 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Advanced Technology Center, TCC Virginia Beach Campus.

Ask A Manager with Tiffany Crenshaw

Wednesday, September 22, 2010.

Q. Do you see the employment market improving in the next six months to a year? If so, in what ways and if not, how best would job seekers and/or current employees seeking a career change prepare for this issue?

A.  There is definitely activity. Jobs are opening and interviews are in full swing. However, companies are very slow to actually extend offers, if at all. Job seekers, don’t be surprised if you get revved up for interviews and employers come back at the end of the process and say, “I’m sorry we decided not to fill the position” or ”we’ve hired a consultant instead” or “we  don’t have approval for this position after all.” Caution is a current a trend and one we see here to stay for at least the next 6 – 12 months. Employers are weighing all options right now to make the best financial decision(s) they can for their organization. Thus, organizations are heavily scrutinizing their hiring decisions. At least we are moving in the right direction. A year ago, there was minimal interview activity. So, stay strong, don’t lose your edge, and whatever you do – don’t get discouraged. In this job market, you just have to work harder and interview better than you ever have before to win the job.

Health IT Group Urges Restraint

Thursday, September 16, 2010.
By John Pulley on nextgov

As the government considers which "quality measures" to include in the second round of meaningful use requirements for electronic health records, members of a federal health IT policy committee are urging restraint.

"I am nervous that the government is going to get into the EHR design business," said Judy Faulkner, chief executive officer of Epic Systems and a member of the Health IT Policy Committee, which advises the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Faulkner's comments appeared in InformationWeek.

Intellect Resources Monday Morning Minute, for Healthcare IT News and Jobs

Monday, September 13, 2010.

Monday Morning Minute is a weekly newsletter designed to share opportunities and industry news with our healthcare IT colleagues Candidates rely on the MMM because it is an informative and effective quick read. Our Candidate Edition is designed just for you and includes listings of open jobs with reputable companies in the healthcare IT field.


To view the most recent Monday Morning Minute, click here.

To subscribe, click here.

The Job Market Maze – What’s Really Happening in the Healthcare IT Marketplace?

Monday, September 13, 2010.

By Tiffany Crenshaw

Lately I’ve been inundated with calls and emails from our candidates and clients for thoughts on the healthcare IT hiring market. Having four such calls in the last two days, I felt the need to share. Feel free to comment or respond.

So, the good news for the industry is that hiring is definitely picking up. The downside is that employers are more selective than ever before thanks to the recession. If you are a frustrated job seeker, don’t take it personally if you experience slow interview processes, more competition, fewer benefits, little to no relocation packages and financially conservative offers. These are trends we are seeing in the hiring market place. However, when the demand for resources increases as “experts” project, we fully expect this to change in favor of the candidate.

The Rise of Healthcare IT Degrees

Friday, September 10, 2010
Interview with James Johnson, New Relationships Manager, ASHIM

Who are the new ASHIM Healthcare IT Certification courses designed for? Do you need experience in Healthcare or IT?
They are designed for anyone that is interested in a career in Health IT. The training courses are set up in such a way that you can receive training for just IT or training in just Healthcare, as well as both if you so desire. It is a very comprehensive training course and includes new information from the recent meaningful use definition release. You do not have to have prior experience to take the courses.

Tiffany Crenshaw of Intellect Resources Discusses Temp Work with Monster and Gina Cappiello

Wednesday, September 8, 2010.

The Perks of Temp Work

by Gina Cappiello, http://www.123movers.com/
The numbers of temp jobs have been showing relatively healthy gains during the employment market's very sluggish recovery. And many experts see the increase in temporary employment as a good sign that the recovery will continue--companies often hire temp workers as a way to increase production or development without the financial obligation that full-time employees bring.

But the rise in temp jobs isn't beneficial only for companies--it can also be a great option for job seekers.

"Obviously it brings in an income, but there are many benefits to temp work," says Tiffany Crenshaw, a cofounder of CareerMoxie.com. Here are some benefits to consider when you evaluate a temp job:

Test-driving a job
Ever wish you could test-drive a job before fully committing to it? Temping lets you do just that. "Temping allows you to assess whether an opportunity and company culture really 'fit' you," says Crenshaw. "Since fit can often be hard to ascertain in an initial interview, I like to think of temping and consulting as a 30- to 90-day interview resulting in a much better understanding of what the position really entails."

Ask A Recruiter

Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

17. How is the Healthcare IT jobs market doing?

1. Very well!  Though we haven’t returned to pre-recession levels yet, we have seen a significant recovery in 2010.  We have many longtime clients, both hospital systems and consulting firms, as well as new clients that are actively seeking and hiring resources right now.  Our clients are sending us new job orders on a daily basis for a wide range of HIT skill areas and job types.  These are real jobs for real needs and our candidates are getting interviewed and hired at a good rate.  We are very optimistic that this trend will continue and even improve.

Intellect Resources Autumn Newsletter and Survey

Thursday, September 2, 2010.

To view the Autumn Newsletter click here

Survey : Which is valued most by employers, education or experience?
Click here to answer

Ask A Manager : 10 Ways to Irritate Your Boss, Or Worse Yet, Find Yourself Back in the Job Market

Wednesday, September 1, 2010.
by Tiffany Crenshaw

1. Let your boss know you are interviewing for other jobs. Why would you even consider it? Some people think it makes them more valuable when another company is interested in them, resulting in more respect and more pay from the current employer. WRONG. This only demonstrates that you are not trustworthy and unreliable, making you less valuable and less respected then before.

2. Tell, not ask for things. As an example, “I am taking a longer lunch today, but I’ll stay late and make it up” will be met more graciously if coined, “I have a lunch that will run late today, but I’m prepared to make up that time. Is that OK by you?” What is your boss going to say, “No?” Very doubtful, if handled properly.