HealthStream, Inc., a provider of e-learning solutions for the healthcare industry based in Nashville, Tenn., has announced that it has signed an agreement with Development Dimensions International (DDI), a human resources and consulting firm, to launch management training courseware through HealthStream's ASP-based Healthcare Learning Center. Under the agreement, 28 courses designed to accelerate the process of developing key leadership skills will be available online to healthcare professionals.

As the healthcare industry continues to change at a record pace, never has the need for skilled leaders been greater in this industry. HealthStream's e-learning platform will deliver DDI's leadership assessment technology with leadership courses to healthcare organizations to train all levels of leaders - from supervisors to senior executives.

Developing leadership skills through online tools offers many advantages for healthcare organizations. Training time is condensed, resulting in significant cost savings. Marc Rosenberg reports in his book, e-Learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in a Digital Age, that e-learning takes 25 to 60 percent less time to convey the same amount of instruction or information as in a classroom. In an environment where patients come first, the need for nurse administrators and staff to be available at all times, compounded by a national nursing shortage, makes e-learning particularly efficient.

Professional leadership development of healthcare management may also assist in retaining employees, avoiding costly recruitment expense. The American Hospital Association recently announced the results of a survey of more than 700 hospitals that concluded that American hospitals are in the midst of a serious workforce shortage, with vacancy rates ranging from 12 percent for laboratory technologists to 21 percent for pharmacists. Retaining management and improving leadership effectiveness are now crucial for the healthcare industry.

Healthcare organizations use HealthStream's e-learning solutions to improve learning, increase compliance, and enhance organizational effectiveness for nurses, technicians, staff workers, physicians, and all clinical and non-clinical healthcare employees throughout the enterprise. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies use HealthStream's e-learning solutions to launch educational programs and reach healthcare professionals. Content providers use HealthStream's e-learning solutions to expand the reach of their programs worldwide. Healthcare portals for professionals use HealthStream's e-learning solutions to provide an instant, co-branded e-learning Web site for their users. HealthStream can be visited on the Web at www.healthstream.com. DDI can be visited on the Web at www.ddiworld.com.