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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The Mississippi Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Mississippi

Printer-friendly Mississippi Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were more than 109,000 workers employed in the health sector in Mississippi in 2000, 9.6% of Mississippi’s total workforce. Mississippi ranked 34th among the states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in Mississippi grew 68% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by only 10%, resulting in a net per capita growth of 52% in health services sector employment. This was more than twice the national rate of net per capita growth in the health services sector of 21%.
  • The total population of Mississippi is projected to grow 9% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 over is projected to grow 55% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, Mississippi ranked the highest in the country in the rate of deaths due to heart disease and 2nd in the rates of deaths due to firearms and cancer.
  • In 2000, Mississippi ranked 3rd among states in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

  • There were more than 4,000 active patient care physicians in Mississippi in 2000. With 141 physicians per 100,000 population, Mississippi fell well below than the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Mississippi ranked last among states in physicians per capita.
  • Mississippi had 50 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 Mississippi graduated 90 new physicians in 1999-00. Mississippi ranked 37th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Mississippi graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (3.2) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 41st among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 136 physician assistants practicing in Mississippi in 2000. This was equal to 4.8 physician assistant per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were almost 24,900 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Mississippi in 2000; nearly 21,400 were employed in nursing. There were 749 RNs per 100,000 population in Mississippi in 2000, less than the national rate of 780.2.
  • Mississippi ranked 11th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/ Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 320.8 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Mississippi ranked 26th in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 9,140 workers.
  • There were 764 nurse practitioners in Mississippi in 2000. This was equal to 26.8 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 33 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Mississippi had 1.2 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 2.9. Mississippi ranked 45th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With 337 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Mississippi had 11.8 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 1,381 dentists, 810 dental hygienists, and 2,210 dental assistants practicing in Mississippi in 2000. There were 48.5 dentists per 100,000 population in Mississippi in 2000, well below the national rate of 63.6. Mississippi ranked 35th in the nation in dentists per capita. The per capita ratios of dental hygienists and dental assistants were also lower than their respective national rates.
  • The number of dentists in Mississippi increased 50% between 1991 and 2000, while the state’s population grew 10%. The result was a 36% growth in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 2,000 pharmacists and 1,900 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Mississippi in 2000. Mississippi had 70.2 pharmacists and 66.7 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 37th and 45th, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 154 psychiatrists, 750 psychologists, and 3,330 social workers in Mississippi in 2000. This was equal to 5.6 psychiatrists, 26.3 psychologists, and 116.9 social workers per 100,000 population. Mississippi ranked 48th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 32nd among states in psychologists per capita, and 42nd among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 1,800 home health aides and 15,850 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Mississippi in 2000.