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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The Vermont Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Vermont

Printer-friendly Vermont Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were nearly 28,700 people employed in the health sector in Vermont in 2000, 9.7% of Vermont‘s total workforce. Vermont ranked 12th among the states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in Vermont grew 50% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 11%, resulting in a per capita growth of 35% in health services sector employment. This exceeded the national rate of per capita growth in health services sector employment of 21%.
  • The total population of Vermont is projected to grow 10% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 53% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, Vermont was slightly above the national rate of deaths due to cancer and below their respective national rates in the rates of deaths due to heart disease and firearms. There were low incidences of TB and reported AIDS cases reported in 2000.
  • In 2000, Vermont was below the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

  • There were more than 1,460 active patient care physicians in Vermont in 2000. With 240 physicians per 100,000 population, Vermont was well above the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Vermont ranked 7th among states in physicians per capita.
  • Vermont had 86 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 Vermont graduated 95 new physicians in 2000. Vermont ranked 36th among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Vermont graduated 15.8 new physicians per 100,000 population, more than twice the national rate of 6.4 and ranked 1st among the 46 states in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 74 physician assistants practicing in Vermont in 2000. This was equal to 12.1 physician assistants per 100,000 population, less than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were over 6,900 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Vermont in 2000; more than 5,800 were employed in nursing. There were 955.6 RNs per 100,000 population in Vermont in 2000, more than the national rate of 780.2.
  • In 2000, Vermont ranked 32nd in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 211.5 LPNs per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Vermont ranked 48th among states in number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 1,290 workers.
  • There were more than 280 nurse practitioners in Vermont in 2000. This was equal to 46.1 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 53 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Vermont had 8.7 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, well above the national rate of 2.9. Vermont had the highest ratio of certified nurse midwives per capita in the nation.
  • With 48 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Vermont had 7.9 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Mental Health

  • There were 203 dentists, 620 dental hygienists, and 580 dental assistants practicing in Vermont in 2000. There were 33.3 dentists per 100,000 population in Vermont in 2000, nearly half of the national rate of 63.6. Vermont ranked the highest in the nation in both dental hygienists and dental assistants per capita.
  • The number of dentists in Vermont declined 34% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 8%. The result was a 38% decline in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 370 pharmacists and 380 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Vermont in 2000. Vermont had 60.7 pharmacists and 62.3 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them both 47th among the 50 states.
  • There were 153 psychiatrists, 260 psychologists, and 1,280 social workers in Vermont in 2000. This was equal to 25.9 psychiatrists, 42.6 psychologists, and 209.9 social workers per 100,000 population. Vermont ranked 3rd among states in psychiatrists per capita, 14th among states in psychologists per capita, and 12th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 1,400 home health aides and 2,920 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Vermont in 2000.