The Health Professions and Workforce Planning Conduct research on this profession Overview and history of this profession Education and training required Licensing and credentialing, including similarities and differences among state licensing requirements Sites of practice Number of professionals in practice, including annual entrants and exits from the profession Distribution of the profession, including shortages How professionals are compensated (e.g., fee-for-service, salary) and levels of compensation (including differences) Current issues facing the profession (e.g., scope of practice concerns) Competitor and highly related professions Future outlook, such as the role of technology, impact of other professions, changes in the health care system Global aspects of the profession Be sure to gather current data as part of your research. Then, analyze the implications for workforce planning. Consider the following questions: What are the most important issues or challenges for this profession that relate to workforce planning? (Your group must identify at least one significant issue or challenge for this assignment.) What aspects of the history or characteristics of this profession contribute to each challenge? For each challenge, what similarities and differences can be identified from local, national, and international perspectives? How does the knowledge of economics and policy that you have gained from previous courses in this MHA program inform your understanding of each challenge? What strategies related to workforce planning would you recommend to address each challenge? Evaluate the intended and unintended consequences of each strategy that you recommend. Why is it important for health care managers to be aware of these challenges and their implications for workforce planning?