The Maine Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

State Health Workforce Profiles Highlights Maine

Printer-friendly Maine Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

• There were over 61,300 people employed in the health sector in Maine in 2000, 10.4% of Maine’s total workforce, higher than the national rate of 8.8%. Maine ranked 9th among states in per capita health services employment.
• Health services employment in Maine grew 42% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 6% during that period, resulting in a net per capita growth of 34% in health services sector employment, higher than the national growth rate of 21%.
• The total population of Maine is projected to grow 9% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 41% between 2000 and 2020.
• In 1999, Maine ranked high in the country in the rate of deaths due to cancer. The rate of deaths due to heart disease was slightly below the national rate. The rate of deaths due to firearms was well below the national rate. Maine was among the states with the lowest incidences of TB and reported AIDS cases.
• In 2000, Maine was slightly below the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000.

Highlights of the findings about the health workforce in Maine are presented below.

Medicine

• There were nearly 2,900 active patient care physicians in Maine in 2000. With 225 physicians per 100,000 population, Maine was higher than the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Maine ranked 9th among states in physicians per capita.
• Maine had 91 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, much higher than the rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
• Medical schools in Maine graduated 113 new physicians in 1999-00. Maine ranked 34th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Maine graduated 8.9 new physicians per 100,000 population, compared to the national
  rate of 6.4 and ranked 12th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates
  per capita.
• There were 562 physician assistants practicing in Maine in 2000. This is equal to 44 physician
  assistants per 100,000 population, more than three times the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

• There were nearly 15,800 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Maine in 2000; more than 13,000 were employed in nursing. There were 1,023.4 RNs per 100,000 population in Maine in 2000, significantly more than the national rate of 780.2.
• Maine ranked 36th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 190.2 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Maine ranked 40th in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 2,430 workers.
• There were nearly 700 nurse practitioners in Maine in 2000. This was equal to 53.8 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, much higher than the national rate of 33.7.
• With 59 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Maine had 4.6 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 2.9. Maine ranked 11th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
• With 155 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Maine had 12.1 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

• There were 608 dentists, 820 dental hygienists, and 920 dental assistants practicing in Maine in 2000. There were 47.6 dentists per 100,000 population in Maine in 2000, below the national rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was higher than the national rate, and the per capita ratio of dental assistants was lower than the national rate.
• The number of dentists in Maine increased 8% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 3%. The result was a 5% increase in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
• There were 890 pharmacists and 1,210 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Maine in 2000. Maine had 69.7 pharmacists and 94.7 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 40th and 15th, respectively, among the 50 states.
• There were 191 psychiatrists, 430 psychologists and 4,230 social workers in Maine in 2000. This was equal to 15.3 psychiatrists, 33.7 psychologists, and 331.2 social workers per 100,000 population. Maine ranked 7th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 25th among states in psychologists per capita, and 1st among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

• There were 3,600 home health aides and 8,510 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Maine in 2000. Maine had 281.8 home health aides and 666.3 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 5th and 8th, respectively, among the 50 states.