As part of its Powerful Voices speaker series, TJC welcomed Dr. Vin Gupta to its central campus on Thursday, to inform students and the community about new technology and developments in healthcare.
As a renowned health policy expert and clinician with nearly two decades of experience in healthcare, Gupta has been featured on NBC and MSNBC as a respected national medical correspondent.
During a lunchtime lecture on Thursday, Gupta spoke to an audience of more than 100 students and faculty from TJC’s healthcare programs, focusing the future of medicine, home healthcare, emerging technology and their effects on the East Texas community.
He projected a nationwide shortage of approximately 10 million healthcare workers by the end of this decade.
“By the year 2030, we are going to have the oldest society on record, where one in five people will be older than 65 years of age,” he said. “We don’t have enough healthcare workers to care for those who are going to need that care; and all of you who are entering the healthcare field are going to be asked to do more with less.”
He continued, “I don’t mean to say any of this to scare you. I think this is an enormous opportunity to have a career of impact and meaning. I would also argue that there’s never been a better time to enter a healthcare profession than right now, because the entire country is thinking about resilience in our healthcare system. We’re all talking about public health in some way, whereas maybe four years ago it wasn’t top of mind. Today, this is something that now the entire world cares about and that our country is investing in at levels we haven’t seen before.”
Dr. Vin Gupta speaks with students from TJC’s healthcare programs following his midday lecture Thursday on the TJC central campus.
Gupta said the medical community would need to lean more on technology and telehealth resources to provide more remote care in patients’ homes, which will help hospitals and clinics save valuable resources for patients most in need of direct care.
“You’re going to have an assist,” he told the students. “Technology is going to make all of your lives better if you allow it.”
He also said more attention should be given to preemptive diagnostic measures that keep people healthier longer — for instance, having patients keep a closer eye on their vital signs to detect underlying symptoms before they become life-threatening issues.
“Dr. Gupta brought a new perspective to healthcare that I haven’t really thought of before. His speech made me hopeful about what our generation can bring to the table in medicine,” said sophomore, Caraline Otte.
TJC professor Gigi Delk said, “I came away much more determined to aggressively pursue preventative medicine.”
During an evening session with community members and healthcare partners, Gupta said patients also want a seamless experience with their healthcare providers.
“Patients want to be told what’s wrong with them with very minimal effort,” he said, adding that several technological advances could provide a simpler way for patients to care for themselves, using artificial intelligence tools that have already been launched in other countries.
Dr. Vin Gupta (back row, center) poses with TJC nursing and health sciences students following his lecture Thursday afternoon on the TJC central campus.
“We have to protect our healthcare system,” he concluded. “You have a booming one right outside, but it’s only going to function well if you protect it. Part of the solution is allowing patients to do more at home, so that when they come down the street to the hospital here in East Texas, they absolutely need to be in the hospital.”
About the TJC Powerful Voices series
The TJC Powerful Voices speaker series welcomes a diverse range of world-renowned innovators, leaders and scholars.
As experts in their various fields, speakers will deliver lively, challenging and informative presentations on timely topics, bringing new perspectives and ideas to TJC and the community.
TJC’s next speaker, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, will be on campus Thursday, April 4.
Oluseyi has three degrees, eight U.S. patents, and four E.U. patents and has hosted Science Channel and Discovery television shows.
For more information, go to TJC.edu/PowerfulVoices.