The Alabama Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

State Health Workforce Profiles Highlights Alabama

Printer-friendly Alabama Highlights (PDF - 33 KB)

• There were more than 176,500 workers employed in the health sector in Alabama in 2000, 9.4% of the state’s total workforce. This was higher than the national rate of 8.8%. Alabama ranked 30th among states in per capita health services employment.
• Health services employment in Alabama grew 37% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by only 11% during that period, resulting in a net per capita growth of 24% in health services sector employment, slightly higher than the national rate of growth (21%).
• The total population of Alabama is projected to grow 15% between 2000 and 2020. The population over 65 is projected to grow 58% between 2000 and 2020.
• In 1999, Alabama had one of the highest rates of deaths due to heart disease and firearms.
• In 2000, Alabama ranked 11th in the number of hospital beds per 100,000.

Highlights of the findings about the health workforce in Alabama are presented below:
Medicine

• There were more than 7,200 active patient care physicians in Alabama in 2000. With 162 physicians per 100,000 population, Alabama fell well below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Alabama ranked 41st among states in physicians per capita.
• Alabama had 57 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, lower than the rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
• The number of physicians in Alabama grew 43% between 1989 and 2000, while the population grew only 10% over this period, leading to a net per capita growth of 30%, higher than the national per capita increase of 17%.
• Medical schools in Alabama graduated 217 new physicians in 1999-00. Alabama ranked 25th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Alabama graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (4.9) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 30th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
• There were 453 physician assistants practicing in Alabama in 2000. This was equal to 10.2 physician assistants per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

• There were more than 41,500 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Alabama in 2000; more than 34,000 of these RNs were employed in nursing. There were 765.3 RNs per 100,000 population in Alabama in 2000, slightly lower than the national rate of 780.2.
• In 2000, Alabama ranked 10th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 330 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Alabama ranked 19th in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 14,690 workers.
• There were nearly 1,400 nurse practitioners in Alabama in 2000. This was equal to 31.1 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, slightly lower than the national rate of 33.7.
• With 43 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Alabama had 1.0 certified nurse midwife per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 2.9. Alabama ranked 46th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
• With nearly 900 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Alabama had 20.0 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, more than double the national rate of 9.3. Alabama had one of the highest ratios of all the states in nurse anesthetists per capita.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

• There were 2,145 dentists, 2,510 dental hygienists, and 2,160 dental assistants practicing in Alabama in 2000. There were 48.2 dentists per 100,000 population in Alabama in 2000, well below the national rate of 63.6. Alabama ranked 37th in the nation in dentists per capita. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was slightly above the national rate.
• The number of dentists in Alabama grew by 36% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 9%. The result was a 25% increase in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
• There were 3,620 pharmacists and 4,030 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Alabama in 2000, equal to 81.3 pharmacists and 90.5 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 22nd and 21st, respectively, among the 50 states.
• There were 280 psychiatrists, 990 psychologists and 5,480 social workers in Alabama in 2000. With 6.4 psychiatrists, 22.2 psychologists and 123.1 social workers per 100,000 population in 2000, Alabama ranked 46th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 43rd among states in psychologists per capita, and 37th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

• There were 4,890 home health aides and 19,720 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Alabama in 2000.