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The California Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
California

Printer-friendly California Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were more than 1 million people employed in the health sector in California in 2000, over 7.1% of California’s workers, lower than the national rate of 8.8%. California ranked 47th among states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in California grew 21% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 19% during that period, resulting in a net per capita growth of 1% in health services sector employment, significantly lower than the national rate of growth (21%).
  • The total population of California is projected to grow 33% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 48%.
  • In 1999, the rates of deaths due to heart disease and cancer were lower than their respective national rates. California ranked high in the incidence of TB and AIDS cases in 2001.
  • In 2000, California ranked 43rd among states in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

  • There were nearly 66,000 active patient care physicians in California in 2000. With 194 physicians per 100,000 population, California fell slightly below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. California ranked 20th in the number of physicians per capita.
  • California had 68 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, comparable to the rate for the entire country.
  • Medical schools in California graduated 1,182 new physicians in 1999-00, ranking California 4th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of graduates. However, on a per capita basis, California graduated far fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (3.5) than did the entire United States (6.4) resulting in the state ranking 39th among the 46 states with medical schools.
  • There were 3,751 physician assistants practicing in California in 2000. This was equal to 11 physician assistants per 100,000 population, less than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were more than 226,300 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in California in 2000; more than 184,300 of these RNs were employed in nursing. There were 542 RNs per 100,000 population in California in 2000, substantially fewer than the national rate of 780.2. California ranks 49th among the states in RNs per capita.
  • California ranked 43rd among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 156 LPNs per 100,000 population compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. California ranked 2nd in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with over 53,000.
  • California had over 10,500 nurse practitioners in 2000. This was equal to 30.9 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 1,115 certified nurse midwives in 2000, California had 3.3 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 2.9. California ranked 19th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With 944 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, equal to 2.8 per 100,000 population, California had one of the lowest ratios of nurse anesthetists per capita of all the states.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 27,684 dentists, 19,880 dental hygienists, and 37,270 dental assistants practicing in California in 2000. There were 81.4 dentists per 100,000 population in California in 2000, more than the national rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of dental assistants was well above the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in California grew 52% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 12%. The result was a 36% increase in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 22,470 pharmacists and 26,520 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in California in 2000. California had 66.1 pharmacists and 78.0 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 43rd and 34th, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 4,667 psychiatrists, 13,390 psychologists and 43,080 social workers in California in 2000. This was equal to 14.3 psychiatrists, 39.4 psychologists, and 126.7 social workers per 100,000 population in 2000. California ranked 12th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 16th among states in psychologists per capita, and 36th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • California had 97.6 home health aides and 269.4 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 46th and 47th, respectively, among the 50 states. There were 33,210 home health aides and 91,620 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in California in 2000.