Clark County’s health care industry faces “a significant crisis,” according to one local hospital executive, due to the lack of people filling health care jobs. Nearly one in five job vacancies in Washington last fall was in health care.In October, there were more job openings in health care than in any other industry in the state, according to a report published last week by the Washington Employment Security Department.“We are simply not producing enough physicians in this state, in this country,” he said, adding that he can’t think of one health care position requiring a four-year degree that won’t continue to be in demand.There are 13,900 health care workers in Clark County, up from 13,600 in December 2006. Job growth has been 2.2 percent locally over the past 12 months through December, but openings remain.Statewide there was a total of 73,000 job vacancies in October with 14,479 of them in health care and social assistance.Registered nursing had the highest number of openings at 3,767, more than 600 vacancies higher than the next job category on the list, retail salesperson.Southwest Washington Medical Center has 122 full-time-equivalent positions open. The hospital wants to fill 28 full-time nursing jobs, as well as 15 part-time openings. Theresa Mazzaro, nurse recruiter at Southwest, said it’s difficult getting experienced nurses, as opposed to recent graduates.“There’s only a handful of experienced nurses out there and they can basically pick and choose where they’d like to work,” she said. “It’s capturing nurses that are relocating to this area or would like to come to this area.” Read more