(June 11, 2003) - The story itself is interesting:

Maryland hospitals faced "critical" shortages of health care workers in 2002, causing longer waits for many patients, the state's hospital association reported yesterday.

The association surveyed 47 health care facilities and found that the biggest shortages were among technical workers and, to a lesser degree, nurses.

"The first place patients are impacted is in the emergency department where their waits will be longer," said Catherine Crowley, vice president of the Maryland Hospital Association. "It will affect the person who is less critically ill, less in need of care."

The survey reported that 21.5 percent of full-time jobs for radiation therapy technologists, who treat cancer patients, are vacant. Crowley said hospitals and outpatient clinics need more radiation therapy techs because of a "phenomenal increase in the number of cancer treatments."
- Washington Post May 29