Looking for some job security? Health care continues to be a very safe bet as Baby Boomers age and live longer. At our largest local health care institution, the hiring scene is "code red."

“We have confirmed needs all across the (health care) spectrum,” says Jeff Rose, human resources director at Munson Medical Center (MMC). “I expect hiring to be really hot for the next three to five years.”

Rose says the hottest position at Munson is a medical coder – one who is an expert on diagnostic codes and vital to the medical billing process. Every time a patient receives treatment, the service provider must document the care that was given. The medical coder’s job is to examine the documentation, assign the appropriate code and create a claim to be paid, either by an insurance company, the patient or another source.

“There are literally thousands of codes,” says Rose. “This is a real growth job that typically just requires certification, not a bachelor’s degree.”

Nationwide salaries for coders range from $48,000 to $58,000, according to the American Academy of Professional Coders. Munson declined to give a salary range, instead saying it provides a “competitive salary” for coders based on market-based salary survey analysis.

Second on Munson’s wish list is a perennial need – registered nurses. About one quarter of the hospital’s 3,700 employees are RNs, according to Rose. “Our nurses are really the predominate position at the hospital,” he says. “At any one time there are about 70 positions open for RNs.”

Nationally, the BLS anticipates 19.4 percent employment growth in nursing between 2014 and 2022. Munson nursing positions can be found here.

Along with a need for nurses, Munson is always looking for nursing assistants.

“This is a really critical job, but is an entry level position that doesn’t require a degree,” Rose adds. “We hire folks who are high school graduates and train them. It’s a good way to get experience in health care and see if you like it. We have a number of nursing assistants who went on to become RNs.

Nursing assistant salaries at Munson range from about $20,000 to $28,000.

Other support positions, such as physician assistants, also have a strong employment outlook. Working under the supervision of doctors, these assistants interpret X-rays and blood tests, conduct routine exams and treat a range of ailments.

To help meet that demand locally, Grand Valley State University recently announced it is expanding its Master of Physician Assistant Studies program by opening a satellite location in Traverse City for fall semester 2015.

"One of our goals with this satellite program was to place more physician assistant graduates in jobs in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula," says Roy Olsson, dean of the school's College of Health Professions. "Educating students who complete their education and clinical experiences in northern Michigan should lead to more graduates staying in that area."