Anita Scott, RN, BS, Me.D., has the ideal job, and it shows.

The former nursing instructor spends her days building partnerships with high schools, colleges and technical institutions as director of workforce planning and employment for Northeast Georgia Medical Center and Health System in Gainesville.

"The best part of my job is that I talk with people who are truly excited about careers in health care," she said. "Health care is constantly changing, but it's also one of the best careers people can choose."

Scott spends about 60 percent of her time in the community, meeting with college representatives, helping determine curriculum for health care programs, consulting about possible partnerships and talking with potential employees. She works with people of all ages - from teens to retirees - extolling the virtues of health care careers.

"Skills are portable, you have a positive impact on the community, your job is recession proof and it's a chance to truly help people," Scott said. "I can't say enough about all the positives of being in this field."

It's no secret that the ultimate goal in her job is to fill the employee pipeline at the medical center, but Scott's enthusiasm extends beyond her employer's needs. She serves on several task forces in the community, helping technical institutions meet the educational and training demands caused by an increasing shortage of health care professionals.

Scott also works with the Greater Hall County Chamber of Commerce to address employment issues in the community and has been on the front lines of the Hall County school system's career clusters project, a pilot program for the state designed to help high school students select career paths.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center and Health System's Workforce Planning and Employment Department also manages several outreach programs, including a radiology tech collaboration with Lanier Technical College and a pharmacy internship/mentoring program for new doctorate graduates.

"One of the best ways to address the shortage of quality health care workers is outreach and collaboration," Scott said. "By connecting with high school students, technical schools and new graduates, we can generate more excitement for health care and promote the profession."

Scott began her health care career as a volunteer candy striper. After graduating from the Georgia Baptist School of Nursing, she continued her education at Brenau University while working in maternal and child health.

"There's a lot of teaching in maternal and child health, and I really enjoyed it," she said.

Scott taught nursing at Brenau before joining the staff at Northeast Georgia Medical Center as director of educational services more than a dozen years ago. The job expanded to include work force planning. She now has a staff of nine
working for her.

The job requires a longrange outlook, patience and the ability to solve problems. As a director, Scott also must have good people skills and a strong sense of business.

The salary for people in her field depends on an organization's pay scale, but most director- level employees make about
$60,000.

"There are very few positions in Georgia like this," she said. "The hospital discovered a need for this program and put together a program that would have long-range positive impact on filling health care jobs with people who are truly interested
in the field. Work force planning dovetails perfectly with our employment initiative, and it's a great marriage."