CNNmoney has released a report on companies that are actually growing and adding staff in Detroit of all places.  It's an interesting read and, not surprisingly, of the 7 companies named, two are filling medical jobs

There is a high demand for healthcare givers just about everywhere: physicians, nurses, physician assistants, etc, but these two companies are hiring for health jobs that don't necessarily come immediately to mind.....

A medical pioneer

Asterand

Detroit

Hires: Clinical site managers, lab technicians, IT developers, inventory control and operations managers, and marketing staff

Think Detroit is only good for industrial labor? Asterand wants to turn the city into a world leader in medical and pharmaceutical research.

Located inside Detroit's TechTown business incubator, Asterand is a human-tissue bank that collaborates with pharmaceutical companies on drug discovery and development. The company had 2008 revenue of 15.2 million pounds, or about $25 million, and was the top performer on the London Stock Exchange last year.

"There is enormous potential for growth and change, and a small company in Detroit is right in the middle of it," says CEO Martyn Coombs.

Asterand plc's predecessor, Asterand Inc., was founded in Detroit in 2000. Asterand went public on the London Stock Exchange in 2006, after it merged with U.K.-based Pharmagene. Asterand has about 90 employees in Michigan, the United Kingdom and Japan, but Detroit has the most employees and is the company's global headquarters.

Detroit's airport is a key asset for Asterand: It's a major hub that allows the company's executives to easily travel worldwide. Another perk: Michigan has "some of the best universities in the country," Coombs says, including the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

"We have a highly educated and dedicated workforce in Detroit, and that's the key to our business," he says.

Asterand has had lower staff turnover in Detroit than what the company would have expected in other major cities, Coombs says. That loyalty has inspired Asterand to stay loyal to Detroit over the years -- so much so that the company just signed a new three-year lease to stay in TechTown.

"We're very proud of our heritage in Detroit, and we feel a responsibility for changing the wider situation in Detroit by staying," he says. 

And, of course, Healthcare IT Jobs

Powering the health care overhaul

Youngsoft and H2H Solutions

Wixom, Mich.

Hires: Programmers, analysts, project managers, and training personnel who teach doctors how to use the companies' products

Health care is a hot political topic this year -- and for Rupesh Srivastava, it's a one that could fuel expansion for his two metro Detroit companies.

Srivastava founded Youngsoft, an IT services company, in 1996 and grew the company by securing such clients as Ann Arbor-based Domino's Pizza. In 2001, Srivastava used Youngsoft as a launch pad to start H2H Solutions, a company that makes specialized software for the health care industry, including products for e-prescriptions and medical-privacy compliance.

By shifting their focus to health care, Youngsoft and H2H Solutions were able to grow to nearly 200 employees and about $20 million in combined revenue last year. "We have put ourselves in a strong position by getting into health care at the right time," Srivastava says.

Srivastava expects that growth to continue as the health-care debate heats up and more companies look for ways to streamline costs. He plans to hire about 75 new workers by the end of 2010 and aims to have 500 employees at his two companies in the next five years.

Srivastava's companies have fielded offers to relocate to other states and countries, and he admits that some of the tax breaks and other incentives have been tempting. But so far, metro Detroit's benefits are winning out.

Detroit's talent pool has been advantageous: Srivastava estimates 80% of his companies' new hires in the last two years previously worked in the automotive industry. And a low cost of living allows Srivastava's businesses to have lower overhead than if they were located in other major cities.

Srivastava thinks those benefits will encourage more non-automotive growth in the area. "I do believe Michigan can and will turn around," he says.

- WJ