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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The Missouri Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Missouri

Printer-friendly Missouri Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were almost 268,000 workers employed in the health sector in Missouri in 2000, 10% of Missouri’s total workforce, higher then the national rate of 8.8%. Missouri ranked 10th among states in per capita health services employment.
  • The total population of Missouri is projected to grow 9% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 44% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, Missouri had one of the highest rates of death due to heart disease in the country and was above their respective national rates in the rates of death due to firearms and cancer.
  • In 2000, Missouri was above the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

  • There were more than 10,500 active patient care physicians in Missouri in 2000. With 188 physicians per 100,000 population, Missouri was lower than the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Missouri ranked 26th among states in physicians per capita.
  • Missouri had 67 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, comparable to rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
  • Medical schools in Missouri graduated 760 new physicians in 1999-00. Missouri ranked 7th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Missouri graduated 13.7 new physicians per 100,000 population, more than twice the national rate of 6.4 and ranked 2n d among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 395 physician assistants practicing in Missouri in 2000. This was equal to 7 physician assistants per 100,000 population, less than half the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were more than 62,400 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Missouri in 2000; over 53,700 were employed in nursing. There were 958.6 RNs per 100,000 population in Missouri in 2000, more than the national rate of 780.2.
  • In 2000, Missouri ranked 8th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 348.3 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Missouri ranked 12th in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 19,520 workers.
  • Missouri had more than 2,060 nurse practitioners in 2000. This was equal to 36.8 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 81 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Missouri had 1.4 certified nurse midwife per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 2.9. Missouri ranked 40th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With 755 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Missouri had 13.5 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 3,100 dentists, 1,860 dental hygienists, and 4,720 dental assistants practicing in Missouri in 2000. There were 55.3 dentists per 100,000 population in Missouri in 2000, below the national rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was also lower than the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in Missouri increased by 23% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 9%. The result was a 13% increase in dentists per capita lower than a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 4,600 pharmacists and 6,070 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Missouri in 2000. Missouri had 82.1 pharmacists and 108.3 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 20th and 7th, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 497 psychiatrists, 1,540 psychologists, and 10,320 social workers in Missouri in 2000. This was equal to 9.1 psychiatrists, 27.5 psychologists, and 184.1 social workers per 100,000. Missouri ranked 30th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 30th among states in psychologists per capita, and 18th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 8,580 home health aides and 38,020 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Missouri in 2000.