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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The Kentucky Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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State Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Kentucky

Printer-friendly Kentucky Highlights (PDF - 41 KB)

  • There were more than 165,000 people employed in the health sector in Kentucky in 2000, 9.4% of Kentucky’s total workforce, slightly above to the national rate of 8.8%. Kentucky ranked 25th among states in per capita health services employment.
  • Health services employment in Kentucky grew 42% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 10% during that period, resulting in a net per capita growth of 29% in health services sector employment, higher than the national growth rate of 21%.
  • The population of Kentucky is projected to grow 6% between 2000 and 2020, while the population 65 and over is projected to grow 58% between 2000 and 2020.
  • In 1999, Kentucky was among the states with the highest rates of death due to cancer and heart disease. The rate of deaths due to firearms was also above the national rate. Reported AIDS cases were approximately half the national rate.
  • In 2000, Kentucky was above the national rate in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population.

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

Medicine

  • There were nearly 6,900 active patient care physicians in Kentucky in 2000. With 170 physicians per 100,000 population, Kentucky was lower than the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Kentucky ranked 35th among states in physicians per capita.
  • Kentucky had 60 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 Kentucky graduated 225 new physicians in 1999-00. Kentucky ranked 23rd among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Kentucky graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (5.6) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 26th among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
  • There were 581 physician assistants practicing in Kentucky in 2000. This is equal to 14.3 physician assistants per 100,000 population, comparable to the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

  • There were nearly 39,500 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Kentucky in 2000; more than 33,650 were employed in nursing. There were 831.2 RNs per 100,000 population in Kentucky in 2000, more than the national rate of 780.2.
  • Kentucky ranked 16th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 279.6 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Kentucky ranked 23rd in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 11,320 workers.
  • There were more than 1,000 nurse practitioners in Kentucky in 2000. This was equal to 25.6 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 33.7.
  • With 100 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Kentucky had 2.5 certified nurse midwives per 100,000 population, less than the national rate of 2.9. Kentucky ranked 25th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
  • With 449 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Kentucky had 11.1 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, higher than the national rate of 9.3.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

  • There were 2,204 dentists, 980 dental hygienists, and 3,630 dental assistants practicing in Kentucky in 2000. There were 54.4 dentists per 100,000 population in Kentucky in 2000, below the national rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was below the national rate and the per capita ratio of dental assistants was slightly higher than the national rate.
  • The number of dentists in Kentucky increased 22% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 9%. The result was a 12% increase in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
  • There were 3,780 pharmacists and 4,090 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Kentucky in 2000. Kentucky had 93.4 pharmacists and 101 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked 3rd and 10th, respectively among the 50 states.
  • There were 340 psychiatrists, 1,060 psychologists and 9,450 social workers in Kentucky in 2000. This was equal to 8.6 psychiatrists, 26.2 psychologists, and 233.4 social workers per 100,000. Kentucky ranked 27th among states in psychiatrists per capita, 33rd among states in psychologists per capita, and 8th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

  • There were 5,050 home health aides and 20,900 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Kentucky in 2000.