It’s a common sight in Northeast Ohio. Travelling down the highway as you approach an exit, on one side of the road, there’s a shiny new outpost of the Cleveland Clinic, on the other side, one belonging to University Hospital. A few exits down the highway, you might see the exact same thing. In town after town, you come across facilities for both. It’s an indication of just how dynamic the overall healthcare industry is and how the marketplace is evolving.
WKSU News took a closer look at various facets of the economic impact of the healthcare industry in “The Business of Health.” The series provided an overarching look at how big medicine directly and indirectly affects the lives of the residents of Northeast Ohio and whether they’re sharing in the economic benefits and getting the healthcare options they need at a cost they can afford.
Feeding the Workforce: Higher Ed Adapts
Team NEO forecasts the region will need an additional 37,000 healthcare professionals over the next decade -- Trained not only in new technology but how to work as a team. In our latest installment in “The Business of Health,” we visit Northeast Ohio medical schools as they form partnerships, expand campuses and implement technology.
Is the Future of Pharmacy in Big Business, Small Practice or Both?
The U.S. market for prescription drugs is about $260 billion a year. Three-quarters of the prescriptions are for chronic conditions – and that’s likely to expand as baby boomers get older. This week in our series, The Business of Health, WKSU’s M.L. Schultze reports, the question is not if the business of pharmacy will grow, but in which direction. And Northeast Ohio is trying out some new versions of old models.
The Business of Obesity
Obesity is an enormous problem in the United States and the impact is not only on our health. More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight. More than a third are obese. And the economic cost is staggering. In the final installment of WKSU’s The Business of Health, Vivian Goodman reports that Ohio, with the 8th highest rate among the states, has a lot to lose if the obesity epidemic rages on.