Aging baby boomers and new technologies are driving up the demand for health care.

"That's good news for people who have skills in that area," observed Chief Economist Chris Chmura of Chmura Economics and Analytics.

The health-care portion of the private education and health care job sector has been growing over the past few years.

"That entire sector is expected to add about 4,000 jobs in 2007," said William F. Mezger, chief economist for the Virginia Employment Commission. "More than 3,000 of those jobs will be in health care."

There are a number of factors that contribute to the demand for health-care professionals.

"Every single health-care job is growing and will be growing in the future," said Deanna Lacy, HR service director for VCU Health System.

Part of the demand stems from the fact that the health-care work force is aging.

"Many people are reaching retirement age," Lacy said.

It's the simple law of supply and demand. There are more people leaving the field because of retirement than there are people coming into the field, and demand is increasing. Even those who want to get into health care are finding it difficult because of a lack of medical instructors.

"It's a real challenge for employers and patients," Lacy said. "It's not just here; it's everywhere. The public is aging and will need more care, more medicines."

The highest demand for health-care professionals can be found in nursing.

"If we look at the data for the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), we are looking at a deficit of 300 to 350 nurses a year," Chmura said. "We'll see that going forward for the next 10 years unless we see more nurses graduating and passing their exams."

VCU Health System is affiliated with the VCU School of Nursing - the close ties help in the employment arena.

"We are able to recruit a lot of the students," noted Teri Kuttenkuler, HR service line director for VCU Health System. "We're always looking for experienced nurses. We're a Level One trauma center and many nurses are drawn to that," Kuttenkuler added.

Within the field of nursing there are opportunities to work in different specialty areas.

"We have over 200 specialty areas," Kuttenkuler pointed out. "We have everything from taking care of mothers and babies to taking care of the sickest patients. There are a number of specialty clinics helping patients with whatever disease process they might have."

Unique opportunities exist in radiology nursing and in the transplant intensive care unit.

"Radiology nursing is a unique job," Kuttenkuler said. "You have to be very skilled because it's highly specialized. A lot of people don't know about it. There are also endless opportunities for nurses at the bedside, from acute care to step-down units."

Chmura pointed out other health-care jobs are in demand. They include home health aids, medical assistants, pharmacists, licensed practical nurses, mental health counselors, pharmacy techs, medical and clinical lab technologists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, radiologic technologists and technicians, and medical and health service managers.

Lacy's list of in-demand jobs includes many of the same: pharmacists, occupational therapists, lab technicians, social workers and respiratory therapists.

"All of those areas are growing," she said. "We have a hard time finding pharmacists because we compete with retail chains. Also, there are more pharmacy avenues for people to go into, everything from long-term care to sales and marketing."

The demand for pharmacy techs is also on the rise.

"It's a good career choice for someone not going the four-year college route," Lacy said.

Two more choices: certified occupational therapy assistant and licensed physical therapy assistant. Both jobs require a two-year degree.

"We are trying to do what we can to encourage people to go into these fields and come to us when they get out," Lacy said.

Other jobs on the rise include radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, medical lab technicians, med-techs and radiation therapy. Some require a two-year while others require a four-year degree.

Clinical positions aren't the only jobs needed in health care. There are a host of other jobs that are crucial to running a health- care establishment. They include billers, financial counselors, medical transcriptionists and certified coders who ensure the correct coding of charges for reimbursement.

"When employers are looking at people, they want qualified, certified coders," explained Maria Carlton, associate administrator for the HR department of internal medicine and service line director for VCU Health System. "That does require certification. They have to go through all of the coding classes. Through education and training, they can receive certification in about a year."

More and more of these types of positions are becoming available, she adds. "They are in demand."

The growing need for jobs in health care may result in higher salaries.

"Usually when you have a demand and a shortage of workers, wages are higher," Chmura said. "If wages go up, more people become interested in these types of careers."