The Oregon Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

State Health Workforce Profiles Highlights Oregon

Printer-friendly Oregon Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

• There were nearly 117,000 people employed in the health sector in Oregon in 2000, 7.3 % of Oregon‘s total workforce. Oregon ranked 44th among the states in per capita health services employment.
• Health services employment in Oregon grew 30% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 25%, resulting in a net per capita growth of 3% in health services sector employment. This is significantly lower than the national rate of per capita growth in the health services sector of 21%.
• The total population of Oregon is projected to grow 22% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 105% between 2000 and 2020.
• In 1999, Oregon was below the national rate of deaths due to cancer and well below the rate of deaths due to heart disease. Oregon was above the national rate of deaths due to firearms.
• In 2000, Oregon ranked 46th among states in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

• There were over 6,700 active patient care physicians in Oregon in 2000. With 196 physicians per 100,000 population, Oregon was close to the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Oregon ranked 16th among states in physicians per capita.
• Oregon had 73 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, higher than the rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
• Medical schools in Oregon graduated 83 new physicians in 1999-00. Oregon ranked 39th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Oregon graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (2.5) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 45th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
• There were 660 physician assistants practicing in Oregon in 2000. This is equal to 19.2 physician assistants per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

• There were nearly 30,400 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Oregon in 2000; over 27,100 were employed in nursing. There were 790.4 RNs per 100,000 population in Oregon in 2000, close to the national rate of 780.2.
• In 2000, Oregon ranked 49th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/ Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 84.2 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Oregon ranked 38th in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 2,890 workers.
• Oregon had 1,482 nurse practitioners in 2000. This was equal to 43.2 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, well above the national rate of 33.7.
• With 197 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Oregon had 5.7 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 2.9. Oregon ranked 6th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
• With 209 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Oregon had 6.1 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, less than the national rate. Oregon had one of the lowest ratios of nurse anesthetists per capita in the nation.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

• There were 2,123 dentists, 1,570 dental hygienists, and 5,330 dental assistants practicing in Oregon in 2000. There were 61.9 dentists per 100,000 population in Oregon in 2000, slightly lower than the national rate of 63.6. Oregon ranked 22nd in the nation in dentists per capita and 35th in the nation in dental hygienists per capita.The number of dentists in Oregon increased 15% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 18%. The result was a 2% decline in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
• There were 2,990 pharmacists and 3,180 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Oregon in 2000. Oregon had 87.1 pharmacists and 92.7 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 9th and 17th, respectively, among the 50 states.
• There were 359 psychiatrists, 850 psychologists, and 4,620 social workers in Oregon in 2000. This was equal to 10.9 psychiatrists, 24.8 psychologists, and 134.6 social workers per 100,000 population. Oregon ranked 19th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 7th among states in psychologists per capita, and 34th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

• There were 6,720 home health aides and 11,900 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Oregon in 2000. Oregon had 195.9 home health aides and 346.8 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 17th and 41th, respectively, among the 50 states.