Thursday, July 8, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Health care—where the jobs are

The trend in health care employment in the Nashville area is toward more growth. A new study by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center indicates that health care occupations are slated to increase 24.29 percent from 2006 to 2016 even though only three out of the 10 fastest growing occupations in Tennessee are in health care. According to the study, “Overall, health care occupations are projected to add 56,980 new jobs, accounting for one in every seven projected jobs between 2006 and 2016.” Home health aides and pharmacy technicians are among the top careers on the list. The expanding population of senior citizens is expected to increase the need for health care services. Again citing the study, “According to Census Bureau projections, the share of the population older than 65 years old in Tennessee is expected to increase from 13.30 percent in 2010 to 19.21 percent in 2030.”

Contact Dr. Murat Arik at 615-898-5424.
marik@mtsu.edu

Health care—Where the wages are

A new study by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center shows that wages in the core health care industry in Nashville totaled $4.7 billion with hospitals and ambulatory services accounting for 92 percent of those wages. The study states, “Moreover, total wages across health care industry segments increased between 2004 and 2008: ambulatory services wages increased from $1.43 billion to $1.87 billion; hospital wages increased from $1.49 billion to $2.45 billion; and nursing care facilities wages rose from $0.34 billion to $0.39 billion. Of the three health care industry segments, hospitals experienced the greatest increase in total wages, 64 percent. Ambulatory services wages increased 31 percent and nursing care 15 percent.”

Contact Dr. Murat Arik at 615-898-5424.
marik@mtsu.edu

Health care—Where the industry is

Research suggests that the location of large corporate headquarters in a city brings high-paying jobs, increases that city’s competitive advantage, promotes innovative technologies and spurs growth in infrastructure industries. According to a new study by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, “Nashville is truly the center of gravity for national health care industry company headquarters with 56 major public and private companies calling it home. … As of 2009, 494 out of 958 investor-owned hospitals in the U.S. were owned or operated by Nashville-area hospital management companies. In 2008, the 56 health care industry cluster companies headquartered in Nashville counted revenues of more than $62 billion and employed nearly 400,000 people worldwide.”

Contact Dr. Murat Arik at 615-898-5424.
marik@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

THEIR TRUTH IS MARCHING ON.--This summer’s “Between the Lines: Reading about the Civil War” group will focus on The Good Men Who Won the War: Army of the Cumberland Veterans and Emancipation Memory, a new book by Dr. Robert Hunt, MTSU history professor. Beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 15, the group’s participants will embark on a discussion of the award-wining title, which touches on the region’s local history within a larger context, during the club’s meeting at Murfreesboro’s Heritage Center, 225 West College St. The following week, at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 22, Hunt will join the group for a question-and-answer session at the same location. Both sessions are free and open to the public. “The Good Men Who Won the War is an excellent study of Union army veterans who had fought right here in Middle Tennessee, among other places,” says Antoinette van Zelm, historian for the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. Contact van Zelm at 615-217-8013 or avanzelm@mtsu.edu.

“A HEALTHY STATE ENCOURAGES MANY VOICES—AND LOTS OF LISTENING.”—HHS SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS--Expressions of confidence, faith, defiance, togetherness, satire and sobriety characterize the second edition of Voices We Haven’t Heard, a publication of MTSU’s June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students. The latest Voices is larger than last year’s edition, and it includes feminist poetry and prose nestled between glossy, colorful covers. Center Director Terri Johnson says the magazine empowers students by providing them with a creative outlet for their observations on racism, sexism, classism, homophobia and other forms of oppression. Voices We Haven’t Heard is free and available from the June Anderson Center in its new home, Room 320 of the Keathley University Center. For more information, call 615-898-5989 or go to www.mtsu.edu/jac.

BATTER UP!--Sign up now for MTSU Alumni & Friends Days with the Nashville Sounds on Saturday, July 17. Come watch the Sounds take on the Omaha Royals at Greer Stadium (534 Chestnut Street) and meet alumni in the Nashville area. Game time is 6:35 p.m. The gates will open at 5:00 p.m. There will be fireworks after the game. The price is $20 per person, which includes the game ticket and an all-you-can eat buffet dinner. The meal will begin when the gates open and will run through 7:00 p.m. This event is pre-pay only. Please register and pre-pay by Wednesday, July 14. Call the Alumni Relations office at 800-533-6878, go online at www.mtalumni.com or send an e-mail to alumni@mtsu.edu.

KEYBOARD CAMPERS--“Partners for Innovation in Information Technology” at MTSU will be conducting summer computer camps for local area high school students July 12-16. Starting with rising ninth-graders, students will be invited to attend one of the three week-long (full-time, 40-hour) summer camps: the Alice camp, the Robotics camp and the Multimedia camp. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of computer science through experiences that have proven successful in advancing learning of high school students. The week-long camps will be free to attend, but seating will be limited. For more information and camp applications, contact the PIIT website at http://www.mtsu.edu/~piit.

I’M PLAYING WITH MY BOOKS, MOMMY.--“Books and Children in the 19th Century: A Small Portrait” is the theme of an exhibit on display now and throughout this summer in the fourth floor Special Collections area of MTSU’s James E. Walker Library. The purpose is to show the variety of ways children and the adults around them engaged with books in the 1800s and early 1900s. The works available for viewing are indicative of the children’s book as an object of moral and educational value. The idea behind the books is to teach values and build character. Entertainment techniques are employed strictly to attract the children and hold their interest. Highlights include several movable books, which are books that contain text or illustrations that the child can manipulate. Pop-up books are one such type of movable book. Many items in the display have never been exhibited previously. Call the James E. Walker Library at 615-898-2772.

ADOPT A VET--The Albert Gore Research Center is an official partner in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The center participates as part of its public service mission. Currently, the Gore Center has about 50 veterans of World War II and Korea on its list of those willing to be interviewed for the Veterans History Project at MTSU, but these vets are in their 80s and 90s. It is urgent that the Gore Center have funds in hand to record their stories in 2010. With each tax-deductible contribution of only $50, the Gore Center can fund one interview with a WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War or Iraq/Afghanistan veteran, or a civilian who supported the war effort by working in war industries or volunteering for the USO, Red Cross or other support organizations. Your donation will pay for tapes and other supplies, transcription, permanent archiving and posting of the materials on a website. For more information, go to http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/adoptvet.hem.

APRENDA CON ME--The University School of Nashville is hosting MTSU’s 2010 Summer Language Institute, where you can learn Spanish in a fun, low-stress environment. The methods employed are Total Physical Response (TPR) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). These methods mimic the way you learned your first language. Movement, games, songs and storytelling are all part of the instruction. Brian Roberts will teach Spanish I for ages 16 and up from July 19-23 at the University School and from Aug. 2-6 at the O’More School of Design in Franklin. Jason Fritze will teach Spanish II for ages 16 and up from July 19-23 at the University School. The cost for all language classes is $350 with a $20 materials fee due on the first day of class. Contact Dr. Shelley Thomas at 615-898-5757 or shthomas@mtsu.edu.