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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The Ohio Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles Highlights
Ohio

Printer-friendly Ohio Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were more than 531,000 workers employed in the health sector in Ohio in 2000, 9.6% of Ohio‘s total workforce. Ohio ranked 14th among the states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in Ohio grew 29% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by only 5%, resulting in a net per capita growth of 23% in health services sector employment, slightly above the national rate of 21%.
  • The total population of Ohio is projected to grow 3% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 35% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, Ohio was above national rates of deaths due to cancer and heart disease and below the national rate of deaths due to firearms. Ohio’s rates of incidences of TB and reported AIDS cases were lower in 2000 than the nation as a whole.
  • In 2000, Ohio was slightly above the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

  • There were more than 22,100 active patient care physicians in Ohio in 2000. With 195 physicians per 100,000 population, Ohio was slightly below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Ohio ranked 19th among states in physicians per capita.
  • Ohio had 72 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, slightly higher than the rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
  • Medical schools in Ohio graduated 904 new physicians in 1999-2000. Ohio ranked 6th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Ohio graduated more new physicians per 100,000 population (8) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 13th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 1,445 physician assistants practicing in Ohio in 2000. This is equal to 12.7 physician assistants per 100,000 population, below the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were more than 121,700 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Ohio in 2000; over 100,000 were employed in nursing. There were 881.3 RNs per 100,000 population in Ohio in 2000, higher than the national rate of 780.2.
  • Ohio ranked 5th among the states in the number of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs) employed in 2000 with 33,600 workers. With 295.7 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000, Ohio ranked 13th in the per capita employment of LPNs.
  • There were over 3,900 nurse practitioners in Ohio in 2000. This was equal to 34.3 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, comparable to the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 268 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Ohio had 2.4 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 2.9. Ohio ranked 27th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With 1,282 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Ohio had 11.3 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 6,219 dentists, 7,080 dental hygienists, and 8,810 dental assistants practicing in Ohio in 2000. There were 54.7 dentists per 100,000 population in Ohio in 2000, less than the national rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was higher than the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in Ohio increased 12% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 4%. The result was an 8% increase in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 9,440 pharmacists and 12,350 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Ohio in 2000. Ohio had 83.1 pharmacists and 108.7 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 16th and 6th, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 1,019 psychiatrists, 5,070 psychologists, and 21,380 social workers in Ohio in 2000. This was equal to 9.1 psychiatrists, 44.6 psychologists, and 188.1 social workers per 100,000 population. Ohio ranked 31st among states in psychiatrists per capita, 11th among states in psychologists per capita, and 16th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • Ohio had 233.7 home health aides and 582.6 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 12th and 15th, respectively, among the 50 states.