If current trends continue, Oklahoma is expected to have a shortage of more than 3,000 nurses, 500 lab technicians, 400 physical therapists, 300 surgical technologists and 200 occupational therapists by 2012. Statewide surveys of hospitals conducted by the Oklahoma Hospital Association from 2001-2005 indicate Oklahoma hospitals’ greatest needs for clinical employees included the following: nurses, respiratory therapists, imaging technologists, pharmacists, medical and laboratory technologists, physical and occupational therapists and scrub/surgical technicians. The primary goals of the Oklahoma Health Care Workforce Center are to: • Ensure Oklahoma’s current education and training systems have the resources and support necessary to produce the number of health care workers needed; • Increase the job satisfaction and retention rates of current health care workers; • Increase the level of awareness among young people and adults of the opportunities available in health care, therefore, increasing the number of individuals entering a health career. To date, support for the Center has come from in-kind contributions or commitments from the following organizations: the Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, OU MEDICAL CENTER, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma State Department of Health, and hospitals across Oklahoma. A 501(c)(3) organization, the Oklahoma Health Care Workforce Center is housed in the Presbyterian Research Park, Oklahoma City, and is an affiliate of the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma (CFO). CFO represents 300 non-profit organizations and individual donors throughout the state. For more information on the Oklahoma Health Care Workforce Center, contact info@ohcwc.com, or call (405) 319-8690.