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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The New Hampshire Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
New Hampshire

Printer-friendly New Hampshire Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were more than 53,000 workers employed in the health sector in New Hampshire in 2000, 8.8% of New Hampshire’s total workforce. New Hampshire ranked 20th among the states in per capita health services employment.
  • The total population of New Hampshire is projected to grow 14% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 54%.
  • In 1999, New Hampshire was above the national rate of deaths due to cancer but below the national rate of deaths due to heart disease. The rate of deaths due to firearms was approximately half the national rate. There were low incidences of TB and reported AIDS cases.
  • In 2000, New Hampshire had fewer hospital beds per 100,000 population than the national rate.

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

  • There were more than 2,400 active patient care physicians in New Hampshire in 2000. With 198 physicians per 100,000 population, New Hampshire was equal to the national ratio. New Hampshire ranked 14th among states in physicians per capita.
  • New Hampshire had 69 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, equal to the national per capita ratio.
  • Medical schools in New Hampshire graduated 60 new physicians in 1999-00. New Hampshire ranked 42nd among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, New Hampshire graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (4.9) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 31st among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 265 physician assistants practicing in New Hampshire in 2000. This was equal to 21.4 physician assistants per 100,000 population, more than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were nearly 13,300 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in New Hampshire in 2000; more than 11,300 were employed in nursing. There were 912.6 RNs per 100,000 population in New Hampshire in 2000, higher than the national rate of 780.2.
  • In 2000, New Hampshire ranked 38th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 177.4 LPNs per 100,000 population, substantially below the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. New Hampshire ranked 43rd in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 2,200 workers.
  • There were over 1,000 nurse practitioners in New Hampshire in 2000. This was equal to 86.6 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, giving New Hampshire one of the highest ratios of nurse practitioners per capita in the nation.
  • With 84 certified nurse midwives in 2000, New Hampshire had 6.8 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, well above the national rate of 2.9. New Hampshire had one of the highest ratios of certified nurse midwives per capita in the nation.
  • With 136 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, New Hampshire had 11 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 898 dentists, 690 dental hygienists, and 1,200 dental assistants practicing in New Hampshire in 2000. There were 72.4 dentists per 100,000 population in New Hampshire in 2000, higher than the national rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was also above the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in New Hampshire increased 43% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 12%. The result was a 27% increase in dentists per capita, higher than the 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 760 pharmacists and 970 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in New Hampshire in 2000. New Hampshire had 61.3 pharmacists and 78.2 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 46th and 32nd, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 176 psychiatrists, 790 psychologists, and 1,520 social workers in New Hampshire in 2000. This was equal to 14.8 psychiatrists, 63.7 psychologists, and 122.5 social workers per 100,000 population. New Hampshire ranked 10th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 4th among states in psychologists per capita, and 38th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 1,550 home health aides and 6,570 nursing aides, orderlies and attendants working in New Hampshire in 2000.