The Arkansas Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

State Health Workforce Profiles Highlights Arkansas

Printer-friendly Arkansas Highlights (Adobe/.pdf)

• There were more than 112,000 workers employed in the health sector in Arkansas in 2000, 9.9% of Arkansas’ total workforce, higher than the national rate of 8.8%. Arkansas ranked 21st among states in per capita health services employment.
• Health services employment in Arkansas grew 59% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by only 14% during that period, resulting in a net per capita growth of 39% in health services sector employment, nearly twice the national rate of growth (21%).
• The total population of Arkansas is projected to grow 12% between 2000 and 2020, while the 65 and over population is projected to grow 68% during the same period.
• In 1999, Arkansas had high rates of death due to heart disease, cancer, and firearms.
• In 2000, Arkansas was above the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

• There were more than 4,100 active patient care physicians in Arkansas in 2000. With 154 physicians per 100,000 population, Arkansas fell well below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Arkansas ranked 48th among states in physicians per capita.
• Arkansas had 59 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 Arkansas graduated 134 new physicians in 1999-00. Arkansas ranked 32nd among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Arkansas graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (5.1) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 29th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
• There were 86 physician assistants practicing in Arkansas in 2000. This is equal to 3.2 physician assistants per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 14.4 Arkansas ranked last in the nation in physician assistants per capita.

Nursing

• There were nearly 23,300 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Arkansas in 2000; more than 18,750 of these RNs were employed in nursing. There were 700 RNs per 100,000 population in Arkansas in 2000, less than the national rate of 780.2.
• In 2000, Arkansas ranked 1st among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs) employed in 2000 with 442.4 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Arkansas ranked 22nd in the number of LPNs employed in the state with 11,850 workers.
• There were more than 1,700 nurse practitioners in Arkansas in 2000. This was equal to 63.7 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, almost double the national rate of 33.7. Arkansas had one of the highest ratios of nurse practitioners to population of all of the states.
• With 25 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Arkansas had 0.9 certified nurse midwife per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 2.9. Arkansas ranked 47th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
• With 271 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Arkansas had 10.1 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, compared to 9.3 nationally.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

• There were 1,707 dentists, 1,190 dental hygienists, and 2,250 dental assistants practicing in Arkansas in 2000. This was equal to 63.7 dentists per 100,000 population in Arkansas in 2000, comparable to the national rate of 63.6. Arkansas ranked 19th in the nation in dentists per capita. The per capita ratios of dental hygienists and dental assistants were below their respective national rates.
• The number of dentists in Arkansas grew 85% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 13%. The result was a 63% increase in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
• There were 2,380 pharmacists and 2,560 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Arkansas in 2000. Arkansas had 88.9 pharmacists and 95.6 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 8th and 13th, respectively, among the 50 states.
• There were 170 psychiatrists, 340 psychologists and 3,230 social workers in Arkansas in 2000. This was equal to 6.7 psychiatrists, 12.7 psychologists, and 120.6 social workers per 100,000 population in 2000. Arkansas ranked 45th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 49th among states in psychologists per capita, and 40th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

• There were 3,460 home health aides and 15,440 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Arkansas in 2000. Arkansas had 129.2 home health aides and 576.4 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 33rd and 16th, respectively, among the 50 states.