National Healthcare and Social Assistance Agenda

December 2009

The NORA Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector Council finalized this version of the National Healthcare and Social Assistance Agenda after considering public comments on the previous draft.

NORA is a partnership effort to define and conduct high priority research in occupational safety and health. Sector-based partnerships use research results to encourage changes in workplaces that will be effective in reducing worker injuries, illnesses, and deaths. NIOSH serves as a facilitator of the NORA process. More information about NORA is available.

The Healthcare and Social Assistance (HCSA) Sector is comprised of four NAICS subsectors: ambulatory health care services (621), hospitals (622), nursing and residential care facilities (623), and social assistance (624). Social assistance includes establishments that provide nonresidential individual and family services for youth, elderly and persons with disabilities; community food, housing and emergency relief services; vocational rehabilitation services; and child day care services.

An estimated 16.6 million people, about 11% of the US workforce, are employed within the HCSA sector. About 80% of the workers are in health care industries and 20% in social assistance industries. Growth of the HCSA sector through 2014 is projected to be more than any other industrial sector. In 2005, there were 668,000 episodes of nonfatal occupational illness and injury in the sector, equivalent to one episode occurring every 47 seconds of that year. Compared to other industrial sectors, the HCSA sector had the second largest number of such injuries and illnesses. The Sector Council has developed five goals designed to address top safety and health concerns and to promote the greatest opportunities to advance protection to caregivers and at the same time ensure patient safety.

Comments on the selected goals are always welcome; they will be considered in future updates of this agenda. The NORA Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector Council is particularly interested in comments from those organizations and individuals who would commit to advancing one or more of these goals through partnerships.

You may submit correspondence by email to noracoordinator@cdc.gov.

National Healthcare and Social Assistance Agenda - December 2009 [PDF - 105 KB]

Contact the NORA Coordinator if you have any questions: