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The Arizona Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Arizona

Printer-friendly Arizona Highlights (PDF - 34 KB)

  • There were nearly 155,000 people employed in the health sector in Arizona in 2000, 7.0% of Arizona’s total workforce, lower than the national rate of 8.8%. Arizona ranked 49th among states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in Arizona grew 58% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 46% during that period, resulting in a net per capita growth of 8% in health services sector employment, lower than the national rate of growth (21%).
  • The total population of Arizona is projected to grow 18% between 2000 and 2020, and the population 65 and over is projected to grow 72%.
  • In 1999, the rates of deaths due to heart disease and cancer in Arizona were well below their respective national rates, while the rate of deaths due to firearms was well above the national rate.
  • In 2000 Arizona ranked 45th among states in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

  • There were nearly 8,900 active patient care physicians in Arizona in 1999-00. With 172 physicians per 100,000 population, Arizona fell below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Arizona ranked 33rd among states in physicians per capita.
  • Arizona had 61 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, lower than the rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
  • Medical schools in Arizona graduated 196 new physicians in 2000. Arizona ranked 27th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Arizona graduated far fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (3.9) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 38th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical
    school graduates per capita.
  • There were 696 physician assistants practicing in Arizona in 2000. This is equal to 13.5 physician assistants per 100,000 population, slightly less than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were over 42,600 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Arizona in 2000; more than 32,200 of these RNs were employed in nursing. This was 623.6 RNs per 100,000 population, fewer than the national rate of 780.2.
  • Arizona ranked 41st among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed
    Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs) employed in 2000, with 168.2 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Arizona ranked 27th in the number of LPNs employed in the state with 8,690 workers.
  • There were more than 2,100 nurse practitioners in Arizona in 2000. This was equal to 41.1 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population in 2000, higher than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 258 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Arizona had 5.0 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 2.9. Arizona ranked 7th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With 171 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Arizona had 3.3 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, compared to 9.3 nationally. Arizona had one of the lowest ratios of nurse anesthetists per capita among all the states.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 2,276 dentists, 2,960 dental hygienists, and 4,470 dental assistants practicing in Arizona in 2000. There were 44 dentists per 100,000 population in Arizona in 2000, well below the national rate of 63.6. Arizona ranked 41st in the nation in dentists per capita. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was higher than the national rate while dental assistants per capita rate was slightly below the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in Arizona grew 29% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 37%. The result was a 6% decline in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 2,130 pharmacists and 3,450 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Arizona in 2000. Arizona had 41.2 pharmacists and 66.8 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 50th and 44th, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 435 psychiatrists, 1,300 psychologists and 8,210 social workers in Arizona in 2000.
    With 9.3 psychiatrists, 25.2 psychologists, and 158.9 social workers per 100,000 population in 2000, Arizona ranked 29th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 35th among states in psychologists per capita, and 27th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 9,820 home health aides and 15,030 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Arizona in 2000. This was equal to 190 home health aides and 290.9 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 19th and 46th, respectively, among the 50 states.