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The Texas Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Texas

Printer-friendly Texas Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were nearly 764,000 workers employed in the health sector in Texas in 2000, 8.2% of Texas‘s total workforce. Texas ranked 35th among the states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in Texas grew 51% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 26%, resulting in a net per capita growth of 20% in health services sector employment, comparable to the national rate of per capita growth in the health services sector of 21%.
  • The total population of Texas is projected to grow 23% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 77% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, Texas ranked slightly below the national rate of deaths due to cancer, slightly above the national rate of deaths due to heart disease, and close to the national rate in the rate of deaths due to firearms. Texas ranked high in both the incidences of TB and reported AIDS cases in 2000.
  • In 2000, Texas was below the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

  • There were nearly 33,500 active patient care physicians in Texas in 2000. With 160 physicians per 100,000 population, Texas fell below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Texas ranked 42nd among states in physicians per capita.
  • Texas had 56 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 Texas graduated over 1,200 new physicians in 2000. Texas ranked 3rd among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Texas graduated 5.9 new physicians per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 6.4 and ranked 22nd among the 46 states in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 2,502 physician assistants practicing in Texas in 2000. This was equal to 11.9 physician assistants per 100,000 population, below the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were more than 150,200 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Texas in 2000; over 126,400 were employed in nursing. There were 603.4 RNs per 100,000 population in Texas in 2000, less than the national rate of 780.2.
  • In 2000, Texas ranked first among the states in the number of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs) employed in 2000 with 58,860 workers. Texas ranked 15th in the per capita employment of LPNs, with 280.9 LPNs per 100,000 population, as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000.
  • Texas had 5,190 nurse practitioners in 2000. This was equal to 24.8 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 349 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Texas had 1.7 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 2.7. Texas ranked 37th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With more than 1,750 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Texas had 8.4 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 9,690 dentists, 5,280 dental hygienists, and 15,630 dental assistants practicing in Texas in 2000. There were 46.2 dentists per 100,000 population in Texas in 2000, well below the national rate of 63.6. Texas ranked 39th in the nation in dentists per capita.
  • The number of dentists in Texas increased 28% between 1991 and 2000, while the state’s population grew 21%. The result was a 6% growth in dentists per capita, compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 14,640 pharmacists and 19,240 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Texas in 2000. Texas had 69.9 pharmacists and 91.8 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 39th and 16th, respectively, among the 50 states.
  • There were 1,560 psychiatrists, 4,910 psychologists, and 21,320 social workers in Texas in 2000. This was equal to 7.9 psychiatrists, 23.4 psychologists, and 101.7 social workers per 100,000 population. Texas ranked 38th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 40th among states in psychologists per capita, and 45th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 61,150 home health aides and 78,020 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Texas in 2000.