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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

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

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
New Mexico

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

  • There were more than 63,400 workers employed in the health sector in New Mexico in 2000, 8.8% of New Mexico‘s total workforce. New Mexico ranked 42nd among the states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in New Mexico grew 53% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 22%, resulting in a net per capita growth of 25% in health services sector employment, higher than the national rate of 21%.
  • The total population of New Mexico is projected to grow 35% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 74% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, New Mexico was well below the national rates of deaths due to cancer and heart disease and above the national rate in the rate of deaths due to firearms population.
  • In 2000, New Mexico ranked 48th in the country in the number of hospital beds per 100,000.

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

  • There were over 3,000 active patient care physicians in New Mexico in 2000. With 168 physicians per 100,000 population, New Mexico fell below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. New Mexico ranked 37th among states in physicians per capita.
  • New Mexico had 62 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 New Mexico graduated 86 new physicians in 1999-00. New Mexico ranked 38th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, New Mexico graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (4.8) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 33rd among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 306 physician assistants practicing in New Mexico in 2000. This was equal to 16.8 physician assistants per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were over 13,700 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in New Mexico in 2000; more than 11,900 were employed in nursing. There were 655 RNs per 100,000 population in New Mexico in 2000, less than the national rate of 780.2.
  • In 2000, New Mexico ranked 39th among states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 172.4 LPNs per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. New Mexico ranked 36th in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 3,140 workers.
  • New Mexico had more than 730 nurse practitioners in 2000. This was equal to 40 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 89 certified nurse midwives in 2000, New Mexico had 4.9 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, well above the national rate of 2.9. New Mexico had one of the highest ratios of certified nurse midwives per capita in the nation.
  • With 107 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, New Mexico had 5.9 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 616 dentists, 560 dental hygienists, and 1,520 dental assistants practicing in New Mexico in 2000. There were 33.8 dentists per 100,000 population in New Mexico in 2000, well below the national rate of 63.6. New Mexico ranked 49th in the nation in dentists per capita. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was also below the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in New Mexico increased 2% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 18%. The result was a 13% decline in dentists per capita, in contrast to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 1,410 pharmacists and 1,450 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in New Mexico in 2000. New Mexico had 77.4 pharmacists and 79.6 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 25th and 31st, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 205 psychiatrists, 700 psychologists, and 2,930 social workers in New Mexico in 2000. This was equal to 11.8 psychiatrists, 38.4 psychologists, and 160.8 social workers per 100,000 population. New Mexico ranked 15th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 17th among states in psychologists per capita, and 26th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 3,080 home health aides and 6,090 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in New Mexico in 2000. New Mexico had 169.1 home health aides and 334.3 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 22nd and 43rd, respectively, among the 50 states.