"Nurses, drivers to move patients, maintenance people, technicians, we need 'em all." said Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic.
The Clinic and other northeast Ohio hospitals Thursday announced a major initiative to fill thousands of positions now and in the future.
"We have the baby boomer age wave coming in to needing additional health care at the same time our work force is getting older and beginning to retire," said Summa Health Systems CEO Tom Strauss.
Northeast Ohio hospitals currently have four thousand unfilled positions.
While many require specialized training others do not.
Nationwide hospitals will have 800,000 openings for nurses in the next three years.
"In 18 months you can come in and get your nursing degree," Strauss said describing the course work needed for someone who already has an undergraduate degree.
Hospitals will provide training for other positions.
Some openings do not require specialized training.
"Health care does everything from maintain buildings to build buildings and all the health care associated things that go with it," Dr. Cosgrove said.
Area hospitals will be working with employment agencies, training centers and community colleges to match people from the local work force to their openings.
They have already begun new summer internship programs for students that have led many of those students to medical school and nursing schools for training for careers in the health field.
WKYC-TV