2007 Texas Health Workforce Diversity Conferences

The Texas AHECs (East Texas AHEC, West Texas AHEC, and the Center for South Texas Programs) are hosting a series of regional Health Workforce Diversity Conferences across the state to bring together stakeholders in

• K-12 and higher education leaders,
• federal/state/community organizations,
• workforce development and health care human resources personnel

to understand

• the impact of our state’s demographics on health workforce,
• the opportunities to expand diversity, and
• strategies to assist students with completion of training and improve workforce retention.

These conferences are funded in part by a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Conference locations and dates

For more information about each regional conference, the call for presentation, and registration go to the Health Workforce Diversity Conference website.

Why is improving diversity in the health workforce important?

There are many factors that affect access to education and to health care, including previous education status and preparation, personal financial resources, culture, as well as the availability of services.  Barriers to access lead to disparities.

There is a dramatic need for focused attention to increasing access to education, particularly health professions education programs, for underrepresented students in West Texas.  While there are ongoing initiatives to raise awareness about increasing minority and underrepresented participation in education beyond high school, the impact of these efforts can be greatly enhanced by bringing together educators, health professions and work force experts from multiple levels. 

Minority students are much more likely to drop out of high school, and at significantly higher rates, than their white peers.  And those that do complete high school are much less likely to pursue further education.  The reasons for this are multi-faceted.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board has documented that the proportion of recent high school graduates who enter college is not increasing—although the overall number of high school graduates is.  This means that the proportion of young people entering college is declining.  The future impact of a less-educated work force is tremendous.

In 2004-2005, the Texas AHEC Council (East Texas AHEC, West Texas AHEC and the Center for South Texas Programs) identified and analyzed the root causes of problems that lead to health disparities in Texas.  The lack of a steady stream of diverse enrollees into health professions education programs is one of the most significant issues facing the state for maintaining an adequate health care work force.  In addition to barriers related to poverty, underrepresented minority and disadvantaged rural and inner city populations face additional educational and cultural barriers to completing education, including

• Lower quality of education in high poverty school districts due to financial constraints, resulting in less successful preparation for students in math, science and reading comprehension (Swanson, 2004);
• Less likelihood of exposure to health science professions through health science technology programs and other special activities; and
• Inadequate information available to students and families regarding available funds for pursuing post-secondary education.

Over the last few years, it has become evident that a high school diploma is no longer the basic credential for successful entry into the work force.  With a high school diploma, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the average annual income to be $23,233.  Over a lifetime, a college graduate can expect to earn almost twice as much (approximately $1.2 million more) as someone with only a high school diploma, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

This is a particular concern in West and South Texas, where there is a higher proportion of the Hispanic population than in the rest of the state.

Percent Hispanic Population by Region.

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, 2000.

Population projections, as outlined by state demographer, Steve Murdock, show that the population of Texas is anticipated to increase 68%, from 20.8 million to 35 million people between 2000 to 2040—and 96% of this growth is anticipated to be in non-Anglo populations.

However the proportion of people achieving education goals of high school graduation, as well as pursuing college education and graduation would decrease as noted below (Texas Projected, 2040), without interventions to improve enrollment in education programs beyond high school.  West Texas and South Texas already lag behind the rest of the state in all levels of educational attainment, a situation that will only worsen without focused intervention.

Levels of Educational Attainment by Region.

Source:  1U.S. Census Bureau, 2000.  2The Texas Challenge in the 21st Century, Steve Murdock, Texas State Demographer.

A less educated and less skilled work force earns lower wages.  Murdock adds that these trends would reduce the average annual household income by $5,087, adjusted for inflation, and would increase participation in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, and food stamps programs.

Residents of West and South Texas have a lower per capita personal income and experience higher rates of poverty than do people in the rest of the state and the nation. 

Selected demographics.

Source:  Most recent data available.  Income information from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2003 data.  Poverty data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census.

Beyond the critical concerns about minority participation in education opportunities across the region, West Texas and the border areas of South Texas face serious health disparities.  West Texas, which spans more than 131,000 square miles with 14% of the population, is the most frontier region of the United States with the exception of Alaska.

In West Texas, 22 counties do not have a physician, and ten of those counties also do not have a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.  Thirty-two counties in West Texas do not have a hospital, and 15 counties in South Texas do not have a hospital.  While 20% of the U.S. is in a Health Professional Shortage Area, more than 65% of West Texas and 60% of South Texas are classified as HPSAs.

Comparison of health professionals per 100,000 population.

Source:  U.S and Texas data from HRSA Bureau of Health Professions (most recently reported, 2000), West Texas and West Texas Border data from Texas Department of State Health Services, 2005.
1Excludes Bexar County, which is the most populated community and hosts the medical school for the region.

These comparisons show that West Texas, the West Texas Border area, and the South Texas Border area have far fewer providers than do the state and nation.  This shortage has a profound effect, not only in terms of limited health care infrastructure across the region, but also in terms of the availability of few role models in the health careers for underrepresented young people to follow. 

With focused efforts to recruit minority and underrepresented students into health professions education programs and to assist them to successful placement in the health care work force, much can be done to overcome the shortage of providers.  In addition, the health care work force of the region will become much more representative of the population, better able to provide relevant care to people who face language and cultural barriers to accessing care.