NEWS BRIEF and Release
February 26, 2014

February 26, 2014 – Wellesley, MA – The National Institute of Whole Health, the first integrative and whole health patient education program in the U.S., is pleased to distribute this New Brief information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

According to the Bureau, health educators, as well as community health workers – who also provide health information for clients – are expected to increase in demand and employment rates into 2020 by 25%. This enormous figure is being fueled by the new health care reform mandates, which focus on disease prevention, patient education, and health advocacy.

For professionals with a scope of practice that includes patient education, or providers who wish to enhance their current credentials in wellness and patient education, this is an excellent time to add a Whole Health Education, Whole Health Advocacy or a Chronic Care Professional certification to your skills set and resume. Below is the forecast published by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Health Educators and Community Health Workers   –   Job Outlook

Percent change in employment, projected 2012-22

>  Community health worker  25%

>  Health educators and community health workers  21%

>  Health educators  19%

Total, all occupations 11%

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Employment of health educators and community health workers is projected to grow 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will be driven by efforts to improve health outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs by teaching people about healthy habits and behaviors and utilization of available health care services.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, insurance companies, employers, and governments are trying to find ways to both improve the quality of care and health outcomes, while curbing costs. One way is to employ health educators and community health workers, who teach people how to live healthy lives and how to avoid costly diseases and medical procedures. Lifestyle changes can reduce the probability of contracting a number of illnesses, such as lung cancer, HIV, heart disease, and skin cancer.

If a person already has a disease such as asthma, health educators and community health workers help people understand how to manage their condition and avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room. Health educators and community health workers help people understand how what they do affects their health.

For many illnesses, such as breast cancer and testicular cancer, finding the disease early greatly increases the likelihood that treatment will be successful. Therefore, it is important for people to know how to identify potential problems and when to seek medical help. The need to provide the public with this kind of information is expected to result in an increased demand for health educators and community health workers.

Federal health reform will increase access to medical care, such as preventative screenings. Health educators and community health workers will be needed to direct patients in obtaining access to healthcare services. In addition, a number of state and local programs designed to manage conditions such as diabetes and obesity include health educators and community health workers as part of intervention teams.

Community health workers who have completed a formal education program and those who have experience working with a specific population may enjoy favorable job prospects. In addition, opportunities may be better for candidates who speak a foreign language.

Employment projections data for health educators and community health workers, 2012-22
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2012	Projected Employment, 2022	Change, 2012-22		Employment by Industry
				Percent	Numeric
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Health educators and community health workers	—	99,400	120,800	21	21,400	—
Health educators	21-1091	58,900	70,100	19	11,200
Community health workers	21-1094	40,500	50,700	25	10,200

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-6