California creates online healthcare worker database

California is launching a statewide database of healthcare workers and education in what state officials say will help meet future healthcare needs, including equitable distribution of providers across the state.

The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development says in an announcement that its Healthcare Workforce Clearinghouse will initially make available information on the number of providers by occupation and geographic area. Data on occupation, age, race, ethnicity and languages spoken also will be available.

The clearinghouse also includes wage data and projected annual job openings, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

"Many people in government and private nonprofit organizations need access to the type of timely and user friendly data that OSHPD is making available," OSHPD Director Robert P. David said in a statement. "Accurate information on the health workforce will be vitally important as we plan to meet California's future healthcare needs."

The database shows the state has 130,440 licensed physicians and surgeons, about 43 percent of whom are primary-care doctors including pediatricians. The number of licensed registered nurses is 330,943.

The state needs up to 400 more family and general practitioners per year for the decade ending in 2018, the Business Journal reports. Annual median pay for those physicians is $156,409. The state will continue to need 10,210 more registered nurses per year for the decade ending 2018, the newspaper adds. Those jobs have an annual median pay of $83,653.

The information comes from the agencies including the Board of Registered Nursing, the California Medical Board, the California Department of Health and the Employment Development Department. The database is administered by OSHPD's Healthcare Workforce Development Division.

To learn more:
- here's the announcement
- read the Sacramento Business Journal article