The Iowa
Health Workforce: Highlights from the
Health Workforce Profile
![Health Resources and Services Administration Logo](images/HRSA_Logo.gif) |
State
Health Workforce Profiles
Highlights
Iowa
|
Printer-friendly
Iowa Highlights (PDF
- 41 KB)
-
There were more than 141,000 people
employed in the health sector in Iowa
in 2000, 9.8% of Iowa’s total
workforce, higher than the national
rate of 8.8%. Iowa ranked 8th among
states in per capita health services
employment.
-
Health services employment in Iowa grew
43% between 1988 and 2000, while the
state’s population grew by 6%
during that period, resulting in a net
per capita growth of 35% in health services
sector employment, higher than the national
growth rate of 21%.
-
The population of Iowa is projected
to grow 3% between 2000 and 2020, while
the population 65 and over is projected
to grow 39%.
-
In 1999, the rates of deaths due to
cancer, heart disease and firearms were
below their respective national rates.
The incidence of TB and reported AIDS
cases were much lower than their respective
national rates in 2001.
-
In 2000, Iowa ranked 7th in the country
in the number of hospital beds per 100,000
population.
Highlights of the findings about the health
workforce in Iowa are presented below.
Medicine
- There
were more than 4,500 active patient
care physicians in Iowa in 2000. With
155 physicians per 100,000 population,
Iowa was lower than the national ratio
of 198 physicians per 100,000. Iowa
ranked 47th among states in physicians
per capita.
-
Iowa had 67 active primary care physicians
per 100,000 population in 2000, compared
to 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
-
Medical schools in Iowa graduated 338
new physicians in 1999-00. Iowa ranked
19th among the 46 states with medical
schools in number of medical school
graduates. On a per capita basis, Iowa
graduated more new physicians per 100,000
population (11.7) than did the entire
United States (6.4) and ranked 4th among
the 46 states with medical schools in
medical school graduates
per capita.
-
There were 412 physician assistants
practicing in Iowa in 2000. This is
equal to 14.1 physician assistants per
100,000 population, comparable to the
national rate of 14.4.
Nursing
-
There were over 35,000 licensed registered
nurses (RNs) in Iowa in 2000; more than
31,000 were employed in nursing. This
was equal to 1,059.2 RNs per 100,000
population in Iowa in 2000, more than
the national rate of 780.2.
-
Iowa ranked 21st in the per capita employment
of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses
(LPNs), with 253 LPNs per 100,000 population
as compared to the national rate of
240.8 per 100,000. Iowa ranked 28th
among the states in the number of LPNs
employed in 2000 with 7,410 workers.
-
There were more than 732 nurse practitioners
in Iowa in 2000. This was equal to 25
nurse practitioners per 100,000 population,
below than the national rate of 33.7.
-
With 40 certified nurse midwives in
2000, Iowa had 1.4 certified nurse midwives
per 100,000 population, lower than the
national rate of 2.9. Iowa ranked 42n
d among states in certified nurse midwives
per capita.
-
With 252 certified registered nurse
anesthetists in 2003, Iowa had 8.6 nurse
anesthetists per 100,000 population,
lower than the national rate of 9.3.
Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health
-
There were 1,847 dentists, 1,490 dental
hygienists, and 2,260 dental assistants
practicing in Iowa in 2000. There were
63.1 dentists per 100,000 population
in Iowa in 2000, comparable to the national
rate of 63.6. The per capita ratio of
dental hygienists was higher than the
national rate and the per capita ratio
of dental assistants was below the national
rate.
-
The number of dentists in Iowa increased
37% between 1991 and 2000 while the
state’s population grew 5%. The
result was a 30% increase in dentists
per capita compared to a 16% increase
nationwide.
-
There were 2,670 pharmacists and 2,490
pharmacy technicians and aides practicing
in Iowa in 2000. Iowa had 91.2 pharmacists
and 85 pharmacy technicians and aides
per 100,000 population in 2000, which
ranked them 5th and 26th, respectively,
among the 50 states.
-
There were 164 psychiatrists, 560 psychologists
and 4,600 social workers in Iowa in
2000. This was equal to 5.7 psychiatrists,
19.1 psychologists, and 157.1 social
workers per 100,000 population. Iowa
ranked 47th among states in psychiatrists
per capita, 46th among states in psychologists
per capita, and 28th among states in
social workers per capita.
Aides
-
There were 5,720 home health aides and
19,050 nursing aides, orderlies, and
attendants working in Iowa in 2000.
|