Health Professions

Physicians, Dentists, and Registered Nurses

Physicians

In 2004, there were 11,997 active physicians licensed to practice in Arizona for a ratio of 209 physicians per 100,000 Arizona residents (Table 22).

Sources: Border States includes data from Arizona Medical Board (2004), and Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas State Board of Medical Examiners (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (2000).

• There were 2,982 physicians in the Arizona Border Counties. There were 239 physicians for every 100,000 people living in this region (within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border). The physician to population ratio was somewhat higher within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border (239 per 100,000) than in the State (209 per 100,000) and the Border States (219 per 100,000). However, the Border Counties ratio was much lower than the ratio for the U.S. at 278 physicians per 100,000 population.
• In the Arizona Border Counties, there were 2.5 times as many physicians per 100,000 population in the metropolitan counties^[31] as in the non-metropolitan counties: 260 and 103 physicians per 100,000, respectively.
• The counties more than 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border in Arizona had a lower physician to population ratio than in the Border Counties with 201 physicians per 100,000 population.
• In counties within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border, there were 101 primary care physicians and 138 specialty care physicians per 100,000 population (Table 23). This compares to a ratio of 91 primary care and 109 specialty care physicians in the counties more than 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border. Statewide, there were 93 primary care and 115 specialty physicians per 100,000 population.

Dentists

In 2004, there were 2,727 active dentists licensed to practice in Arizona for a ratio of 48 dentists per 100,000 Arizona residents (Table 24).

Sources: Border States includes data from Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (2000).

• There were 542 dentists in counties within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border. For every 100,000 people living in the Arizona Border Counties, there were 43 dentists. Though the dentist to population ratio was comparable to the overall State ratio, it was lower than the supply of dentists in both the Border States (65 per 100,000) and the U.S. (61 per 100,000).
• In the metropolitan^[32] Border Counties in Arizona, there were 1.6 times as many dentists than in the non-metropolitan counties: 46 and 28 per 100,000, respectively.
• In Arizona, counties more than 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border had a higher supply of dentists than counties within 62 miles of the Border, with 49 dentists per 100,000 population.
• In the Arizona Border Counties, there were 36 general practice dentists per 100,000 population (Table 25). This was lower than the ratio of 41 general practice dentists in the counties more than 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border.
• There were 7.8 specialty care dentists per 100,000 population in Arizona and each of the Border regions (Table 25).

Registered Nurses

In 2004, there were 46,244 active registered nurses (RNs) licensed to practice in Arizona for a ratio of 805 RNs per 100,000 Arizona residents (Table 26).

Sources: Border States includes data from Arizona State Board of Nursing (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (2000).

• There were 10,624 registered nurses in counties within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border; this was 851 nurses for every 100,000 people living in this region. The registered nurse to population ratio in counties within 62 miles of the Border was similar to the State ratio (805 per 100,000), but notably higher than the ratios for the Border States and the U.S. (692 and 782 per 100,000 population, respectively).
• In the metropolitan^[33] Border Counties, there were 1.6 times as many nurses as there were in the non-metropolitan counties: 894 and 570 per 100,000 population, respectively.
• The Arizona counties that were more than 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border had a lower supply of registered nurses than the Border Counties with 792 per 100,000 population (Table 26).
• Registered nurses in the Arizona Border Counties were overwhelmingly Non-Hispanic White (85 percent), with only 8.5 percent of nurses reported as Hispanic/Latino(a) (Table 27). Nationally, 86 percent of RNs were Non-Hispanic White, 5.1 percent were Black/African-American, and 2.2 percent were Hispanic/Latino(a).^[34]
• In the counties more than 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border, Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for the vast majority of the nursing workforce (88 percent, Table 27).