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National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
 

The Iowa Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

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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.