The Chicago Journal

Chicago’s Healthcare Industry Is Booming (and That Means More Healthcare Jobs)

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on March 30, 2022

According to the State of The Chicago Healthcare Industry, Chicago has more than 26,000 healthcare-related companies employing over 600,000 employees. It’s a city that’s fast becoming a hub for medical research and healthcare innovation, attracting many startups. That’s good news for Chicago’s employment rates because more healthcare companies equals more jobs. 

In addition, Chicago health systems are joining forces to promote careers in healthcare. They are encouraging people from all kinds of backgrounds and different skill sets to consider a career in the healthcare field. For example, Healthcare Forward is focused on recruiting individuals for a wide range of entry-level jobs in healthcare that only require a high school diploma or GED equivalent. 

The Growing Demand For Healthcare Jobs in Chicago

According to the American Hospital Association, the pandemic created a huge demand for more healthcare workers. The United States also has a growing need to provide quality care for its aging population. And like every other state, Chicago’s healthcare industry needs to employ more people. 

Although health science occupations are one of the state’s fastest-growing careers, it goes beyond medical doctors and nurse practitioners. There’s an increasing demand for healthcare support staff, biomedical engineers, IT professionals, and administrative staff. Below, we’ll discuss the types of healthcare jobs that are increasing in demand. 

  • Medical 

Medical or health professionals are people who have the formal education, training, and license required to provide healthcare services. They examine and diagnose patients, provide effective treatment, give illness prevention tips and educate people on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Some types of healthcare professionals include primary care professionals (general doctors, nurse practitioners, and OB/GYN), and nursing care professionals (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and advanced practice nurses). Others include therapists, specialty care doctors, and pharmacists.

  • Healthcare support staff

Healthcare support workers assist and help to care for patients in hospitals or clinics. They change dressings, sterilize medical equipment, collect, store and label biological specimens, take vital signs and record findings to superiors, administer medications to patients, and keep hospital supplies properly stocked and organized.

Clinical support staff work closely with healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, and therapists. Healthcare support jobs available in Chicago include home health aides, diagnostic medical sonographers, occupational therapist assistants, emergency services personnel, etc.

  • Healthcare administration

Healthcare administrators perform tasks that don’t directly involve the clinical care of patients. They may develop work schedules for staff and physicians, manage patient fees and billing, manage facility finances, improve facility efficiency and quality, and ensure that the facility complies with all laws and regulations.

Health administration jobs include medical billing manager, health services manager, practice administrator, etc. However, applicants need to have at least a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree. They may attend a traditional college or enroll in an online MHA program that has no GRE/GMAT requirement. 

  • Tech

IT professionals would play a huge role in the ongoing healthcare innovation in Chicago. They may optimize electronic systems for health facilities, develop software to track patient history, and electronically secure medical records and insurance information. They often start as general IT employees before choosing to specialize in healthcare information systems. 

Since many healthcare companies are adopting tech and IT in their operations, they would have data-focused, network administration, and security-related positions. In-demand IT and tech jobs in healthcare include data scientists, software developers, cyber security specialists, information security analysts, database administrators, etc.

  • Biomedical engineering

Biomedical engineers use engineering principles to create solutions for healthcare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they deal with the design and development of medical products. Since it’s one of the hottest fields right now, biomedical engineers earn some of the highest starting salaries in the healthcare industry.  

Science, technology, and engineering are shaping the future of healthcare with innovations. There are wearable devices, telehealth and telemedicine solutions, and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Biomedical engineering specialties include biomechanics, medical imaging, cellular, tissue, and genetic engineering, etc.

  • Healthcare leadership 

Healthcare leaders are responsible for setting and working towards fundamental goals in healthcare organizations. They ensure the quality of health services delivered, make workflows more cost-effective, and ensure sustainability. They would fill leadership positions in Chicago’s hospitals, medical facilities, government, research facilities, academic institutions, etc. 

Healthcare leadership jobs include hospital CEO, hospital CFO, hospital administrator, healthcare consultant, licensed nursing home administrator, etc. To qualify for these roles, applicants may enroll in an online Master of Health Administration (MHA) or earn advanced degrees in nursing, business administration, or public health. 

The MetaVolution Play-To-Earn Game Strikes the Perfect Balance Between Semi-Realism and Cartoon

danielruiz danielruiz on March 30, 2022

Play-To-Earn games (P2E) have been all the rage these days. The advent of NFTs has brought the technology to greater heights, pushing the boundaries of what is possible for the gaming world in its entirety. The massive popularity of NFTs has seen projects coming out left and right, and as a consequence, the saturated market has been suffering from a severe lack of originality. The MetaVolution NFT aims to spark a revolution in the metaverse by offering something truly unique in a sea of similar NFT projects.

What makes MetaVolution truly unique is how it approaches its art style and story, seamlessly blending both aspects into a magnificent whole. The highly anticipated NFT project sets a groundbreaking precedent by utilizing the highest quality three-dimensional art with unique, distinctive details that strike a perfect balance between realism and cartoon-like features.

The team behind the renowned NFT project has also taken things a step beyond by focusing on inclusivity and diversity within its cast of characters. “We’ve put a lot of thought and work into making the art inclusive and relatable by having a 50/50 mix between men and women in the collection,” explained the MetaVolution creators.

MetaVolution is a Play-to-Earn On-Chain game that puts NFT enthusiasts in the middle of an immersive fantasy world filled to the brim with unique environments, distinct characters, and a deep story. The lore revolves around  the Immortals, went through a dimensional portal called the Ark and suffered body modifications that they now have to live with.

The breathtaking art of MetaVolution puts it above the rest of the competition. The unique digital art pieces utilize the perfect balance of semi-realistic and cartoon elements that is unparalleled. The project’s lore, heavily paired with the unique art style, brings the project to greater heights.

The story begins with a world where survivors of a terrible pandemic have no choice but to go through a two-dimensional portal to gain a chance of survival. “Before they could go through the Ark, the survivors had to subdue their body to cybernetic transformations and mutations that transformed them into unique, extraordinary beings. Since the story happens in the future, there are also sci-fi elements that are being added to the art to make it look futuristic,” shared the developers.

Gamers who thoroughly enjoy RPGs will also find a great interest in MetaVolution, and they can find project updates on Twitter and Instagram. The NFT mirrors the complex elements of a video game without the unnecessary barrier of entry that has plagued modern video games, such as mindless grinding. “They must be looking for that excitement of completing quests to loot progressively more and more valuable rewards as they progress in our game ecosystem. We want to bring back the World of Warcraft type of loot experience after you finish a boss, but progressively and without having to be online and locked in the gameplay for five hours straight before being able to achieve it,” explained the creators.

The MetaVolution NFT is a community-driven project. Community members will mostly consist of individuals who are big fans of manga, science fiction, and cyberpunk fiction. With MetaVolution, there is so much for these like-minded individuals to sink their teeth into, allowing them to foster a brilliant community through and through. The project is tailor-made for individuals who can appreciate the MetaVolution’s relatable lore and connect it to what’s happening and what could happen in the real world, offering a sense of escapism through its unique fantasy world.

The MetaVolution NFT has a collection of 11 one-of-ones, which are 100% unique. The rest of the 8,778 tokens in the collection will be procedurally generated with a diverse set of high-quality elements and attributes to make them distinct.