A new survey of healthcare organizations in Georgia shows a shortage of skilled health IT workers there.

The Institute for Healthcare Information Technology, a nonprofit, worked with Porter Research to conduct the survey.

The survey showed 72 percent of respondents have more than 50 job openings, and more than 80 percent of hospitals anticipate an increase in their IT budgets over the next five years.

[Also: Georgia a 'top destination' for IT companies]

Meanwhile, demand for skilled IT professionals is expected to continue to grow, with three areas most in demand: electronic medical record systems, cybersecurity and system integration.

Though respondents are concerned about their ability to fill their jobs over the next five years, 57 percent reported using both in- and out-of-state recruitment efforts to in conjunction with tapping colleges, universities and technical colleges.

Respondents said it’s also difficult to find qualified resources due to the lack of candidates with healthcare experience across the state and the high demand and competitive environment for those qualified candidates.

Respondents recommended the educational systems in Georgia implement more healthcare-specific programs and include more internship opportunities where students can expand their knowledge in real-world situations.

“With Georgia being home to hundreds of healthcare IT companies and healthcare providers, the need for our education systems to generate qualified resources is expected to continue to increase,” Pat Williams, chairman for IHIT said in a statement.

The online survey garnered more than 300 responses from participants knowledgeable about their healthcare organizations’ healthcare IT growth and recruitment needs over the next three to five years.

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