According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic projections, total employment in health care will grow by 3.2 million jobs by 2018. Health care employment continues to climb with 300,000 jobs added in the last year.

On November 14, 2011, the Obama Administration announced the Health Care Innovation Challenge.  Up to $1 billion in grants will be awarded to applicants who will implement the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health, improved care, and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP).

Thirty-two million more Americans will gain health care insurance by 2019. Innovative ways of providing care are necessary to meet the growing need. The Health Care Innovation Challenge grant specifically addresses new workforce models of development and deployment and related training and education. This includes exploring how community workers, pharmacy technicians, and other health care professionals can provide care to those with the highest health care needs. This, in turn, means more jobs. In fact, 10 of the 20 fastest growing occupations are health care related. This list includes veterinarians, dental hygienists, dental assistants, medical assistants, and others.