Broward students who are interested in a health care career need look no farther than Hollywood, home to Dade Medical College’s newest campus, to take that important first step toward job security in one of the country’s fastest-growing fields.
The state-of-the-art educational facility opened in January 2010 in a strip shopping center at 6837 Taft St., in a 26,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by a Bealls Outlet store. Some 500 students currently are enrolled at the Hollywood campus, and additional space is under construction to accommodate a growing student body.
As millions of aging baby boomers continue to place increasing demands on health care providers, medical workers are a hot commodity.
“Health care is one of the few fields that tend to be recession-proof,” said Ernesto Perez Jr., Dade Medical College’s president and CEO. “With one of the largest generations on record at or nearing retirement age and thus requiring more health services, plus the fact that many health care professionals among that group will be retiring soon, the demand for jobs is very high.”
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2008-2018 projections, the health care and social assistance sector is expected to experience the second-largest employment growth of all industries in the U.S., just behind professional and business services.
Among the 30 occupations with the greatest projected employment growth over the 10-year period are home health aides (50 percent increase), medical assistants (33 percent increase), registered nurses (22 percent increase), licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (21 percent increase), and nursing aides, orderlies and attendants (19 percent increase).
Dade Medical College’s Hollywood campus offers diplomas and/or Associate of Science degrees in Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography, Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound, General Radiologic Technology, Health Care Management, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Nursing and Practical Nursing.
“Governmental labor statistics point to double-digit growth through 2018 in nearly all of the fields for which we offer training, and the South Florida area is no exception, with more than 30,000 jobs in nursing being currently available,” Perez said. “In the state of Florida, private career colleges such as Dade Medical College train more than 55 percent of the workforce.”
Thirteen of the 50 occupations on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of “50 Best Careers of 2011” are in the health care field, including radiologic technologist and registered nurse. Rankings were based not only on job-growth projections but also on salary data and other factors such as job satisfaction.
Since it was founded in 1999, Dade Medical College has enabled students who wouldn’t have the means or the time required to attend a more traditional educational institution to achieve their professional goals. The college also is dedicated to helping graduates find employment in their field of study through its Career Services department and a Career Development class offered as part of each program.
Dade Medical College – which is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education and is a member of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges – operates three other campuses in Miami, Hialeah and Homestead.
Perez said the college’s decision to expand into Broward County made good sense.
“With Broward being one of the three most populous counties in the state, it seemed like a very natural progression to expand northward from our home base of Miami-Dade,” he said. “We researched the area during the time we were exploring the possibility of expanding and are proud to say that, because our Hollywood campus has become the second-most populous campus in terms of student count, our decision seems to have been validated.”
As part of its commitment to the community, Dade Medical College offers low-cost 4-D Ultrasound Scan services for pregnant patients for $25, including a keepsake DVD that captures the moving images and preserves the experience. The college also awards scholarships to needy local students, participates in charity events and helps improve conditions in the community, including restoration of a school fountain at McArthur High in Hollywood, through its Adopt-a-School program.
For more information on Dade Medical College, call 305-644-1171 or visit www.dademedical.edu
