Michigan Medicine, Our Trusted Link for June, 2021

 

University of Michigan Health

The University of Michigan healthcare system, headquartered in Ann Arbor, is known as Michigan Medicine. It is ranked #11 on the U. S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll. For the state of Michigan, it's ranked the #1 hospital, and it also ranks high for 13 adult and 10 children's specialties.  The University of Michigan Medical School accepted its initial class in 1850, and in 1869 opened the first university-owned hospital in the U. S. On the U. of Michigan campus, the Medical Center contains the main hospital as well several specialty hospitals. Michigan Medicine also operates around 40 health centers around southeast Michigan. It employs over 20,000 people, including 3,500 on the academic staff.  In 1887, University of Michigan opened the Hygienic Laboratory, the first purpose-built place in the U.S. for studying bacteria, assisting in public health issues. In 1902 the nation’s first Department of Bacteriology was established there.  The faculty of the Medical School were among the first to experiment with radiology, and in 1913 appointed the first professor of roentgenology (now radiology) in the U. S.  Other pioneering steps at Michigan Medicine include 1905: the first Dermatology department in the U. S.  1906: an early Psychiatry department 1913: introduction of the EKG to American physicians 1922: the first hospital school for child patients 1926: a research institute for blood-related diseases 1928: world’s first successful lung removal 1934: first statistical department, for recording and providing access to patient data 1940: first U.S. human genetics program with a clinic for hereditary diseases 1959: first hospital gift shop, run by volunteers and providing grants for patients from the proceeds 1975: one of the first PhD programs in nursing research 2001: nation's first comprehensive Depression Center.  Specialties and Institutions Kresge Hearing Research Institute W.K. Kellogg Eye Center Brehm Center for Diabetes Research Geriatrics Center C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation The Biointerfaces Institute The Michigan Institute for Research in Critical Care MedSport sports medicine program The Rogel Cancer Center has been recognized as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute since 1991. In 2018, $150 million was donated by Richard and Susan Rogel to support both cancer patients and cancer researchers. The program stands out for its multidisciplinary approach and sharing of resources.

Cancer AnswerLine

Cancer Deaths in the Great Plains Region

Cancer is the number two cause of death in America, accounting for over 599,000 deaths in 2019, or about 21% of all deaths in the United States that year.  Thanks to improvements in medical knowledge, the cancer death rate has dropped modestly over the past twenty years. Whereas in 1999 the U.S. recorded 197.0 cancer deaths per 100,000 population, by 2019 the cancer death rate had dropped to 182.7 deaths per 100,000 population.  The national trend in cancer deaths is also seen in the seven-state Great Plains region of the country.  Although a region where the cancer death rate historically runs above the national average, the Great Plains region also saw its cancer death rate drop between 1999 and 2019, from 204.7 deaths per 100,000 population to 193.2 deaths per 100,000 population.  A closer review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about cancer deaths in the Great Plains region of the country:

Cancer Deaths in the Great Plains Region

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
IA	6,346	6,249	6,335
KS	5,334	5,319	5,619
MN	8,892	9,580	10,042
MO	12,186	12,472	12,873
NE	3,410	3,336	3,482
ND	1,366	1,243	1,316
SD	1,632	1,503	1,737
Region	39,166	39,702	41,404
U.S.	549,838	567,628	599,601
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
IA	217.5	206.0	200.8
KS	199.2	187.8	192.9
MN	182.5	181.4	178.1
MO	219.1	209.2	209.7
NE	200.0	184.0	180.0
ND	212.0	186.9	172.7
SD	217.5	186.2	196.3
Region	204.7	194.7	193.2
U.S.	197.0	185.0	182.7

(*) number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 12, 2021

Physical Therapist Pay in the U.S. Southwest

Data released recently from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were nearly 221,000 physical therapists (PTs) at work in the United States as of May 2020.  About 22,000 of those working as physical therapists in the U.S. lived in the four-state Southwest region.  The Southwest region is a relatively good one for physical therapist pay, with three of the four states in the region having PT annual mean wage levels higher than the national average.  A deeper dive into BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about PT employment and physical therapist pay in the U.S. Southwest:

Physical Therapist Pay in the U.S. Southwest

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	3,780	$91,930	15th
NM	1,460	$98,580	6th
OK	1,950	$92,670	13th
TX	14,710	$90,870	21st
U.S.	220,870	$91,680	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 2, 2021

Pharmacist Pay in the Far West Region of the U.S.

Recently published May 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were more than 315,000 pharmacists employed in the United States.  About 48,000 of those employed as pharmacists in the U.S. lived in the six-state Far West region.  Generally speaking, the region is the strongest one in the nation for pharmacist pay.  The three best states in the nation for pharmacist annual mean wage levels were in the Far West U.S., and two other states in the region ranked in the top ten nationally.  BLS data from May 2020 details the following about pharmacist pay in Far West region of the U.S.:

Pharmacist Pay in the Far West Region of the U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	470	$147,040	1st
CA	32,520	$146,070	2nd
HI	1,540	$128,780	10th
NV	2,790	$125,260	18th
OR	4,210	$136,700	3rd
WA	6,590	$129,970	8th
U.S.	315,470	$125,460	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 2, 2021

Heart Disease Deaths in the Southwest

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in U.S., accounting for more than 659,000 deaths in 2019, or about 23% of all deaths in the United States that year.  Advances in medical knowledge have contributed significantly to a decline in the heart disease death rate over the past twenty years. From 259.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999, by 2019 the heart disease death rate had dropped to 200.8 deaths per 100,000 population.  Even so, the heart disease death rate nationally has been creeping back up since the middle of the last decade.  The national experience with heart disease deaths is mirrored in the U.S. Southwest, where the 2019 death rate of 174.7 per 100,000 population was nearly 22% lower than it was in 1999.  A deeper look at data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about the trend in heart disease deaths in the Southwest region of the United States:

Heart Disease Deaths in the Southwest

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
AZ	10,800	10,273	12,587
NM	3,452	3,214	4,245
OK	11,263	9,202	10,960
TX	43,418	38,077	46,139
Region	68,933	60,766	73,931
U.S.	725,192	599,413	659,041
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
AZ	215.0	162.0	172.9
NM	190.9	157.8	202.4
OK	327.7	247.5	277.0
TX	211.2	153.5	159.1
Region	223.6	164.7	174.7
U.S.	259.9	195.4	200.8

(*) number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 9, 2021

Drug Induced Deaths in New England

There were over 74,500 drug induced deaths in the United States in 2019, or about 22.7 drug induced deaths per 100,000 population.  Drug overdoses, both intentional and accidental, accounted for almost 95% of these fatalities.  In the twenty years from 1999 to 2019, the drug induced death rate per 100,000 population more than tripled nationally.  While all regions of the country experienced sharp increases in the number of drug induced deaths in the twenty years from 1999 to 2019, the experience in the six-state New England region was particularly bad.  During the same twenty year period that the national drug induced death rate more than tripled, in New England the death rate more than quadrupled.  From a drug induced death rate per 100,000 population that was already over 11% above the national average in 1999, by 2019 the region's drug induced death rate was more than 43% above the national average rate.  A review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about drug induced deaths in the New England region.:

Drug Induced Deaths in New England

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
CT	330	397	1,263
MA	512	916	2,312
ME	70	182	391
NH	62	172	420
RI	61	168	312
VT	31	57	142
Region	1,066	1,892	4,840
U.S.	19,128	39,147	74,511
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
CT	9.7	11.1	35.4
MA	8.1	14.1	33.5
ME	5.5	13.7	29.1
NH	5.1	13.1	30.9
RI	5.9	15.9	29.5
VT	5.1	9.1	22.8
Region	7.7	13.1	32.6
U.S.	6.9	12.8	22.7

(*) number of drug induced deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 5, 2021

Firearm Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.

There were more than 39,700 firearm deaths, or about 12.1 firearm deaths per 100,000 population, in the United States in 2019.  Nationally, by 2019 the number of firearms-caused deaths per 100,000 population had increased approximately 17% and 18% from 1999 and 2009 levels, respectively.  The twelve-state Southeast region saw its firearm death rate jump from 13.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 16.1 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.  Already a region with a higher firearms-caused death rate than most regions of the country in 1999, by 2019 the firearm death rate (per 100,000 population) in the Southeast was 33% higher than the national average.  A closer review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about the trend in firearm deaths in the Southeastern U.S. over the past twenty years:

Firearm Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
AL	790	830	1,076
AR	388	465	580
FL	1,721	2,324	2,872
GA	1,105	1,247	1,695
KY	525	560	682
LA	779	810	1,013
MS	515	487	710
NC	1,057	1,112	1,397
SC	552	634	1,012
TN	848	966	1,270
VA	823	836	1,025
WV	250	251	300
Region	9,353	10,522	13,632
U.S.	28,874	31,347	39,707
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
AL	17.8	17.4	21.9
AR	14.6	16.1	19.2
FL	10.9	12.5	13.4
GA	13.7	13.0	16.0
KY	13.1	13.0	15.3
LA	17.5	18.0	21.8
MS	18.2	16.5	23.9
NC	13.3	11.8	13.3
SC	13.9	13.8	19.7
TN	15.0	15.3	18.6
VA	11.8	10.5	12.0
WV	13.8	13.6	16.7
Region	13.6	13.5	16.1
U.S.	10.3	10.2	12.1

(*) number of firearm-caused deaths per 100,000 population; death count includes both intentional and unintentional fatalities caused by a firearm

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 2, 2021

Cancer Deaths in the Far West Region

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America, accounting for more than 599,000 deaths in 2019, or 21% of all deaths in the U.S. that year.  With advances in medical know how, the cancer death rate has dropped modestly over the past twenty years, from 197.0 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 182.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.  The national trend in cancer deaths is also seen in the six-state Far West region of the country.  Already a region with a cancer death rate below the national average, the cancer death rate in the Far West declined from 165.0 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 158.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.  A deeper examination of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals that the favorable trend in cancer deaths in the Far West region of the country has not been a universal experience, as both Alaska and Hawaii have seen their cancer death rates worsen over the past twenty years:

Cancer Deaths in the Far West Region

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
AK	633	895	1,021
CA	53,067	55,991	59,512
HI	1,916	2,244	2,500
NV	3,556	4,461	5,434
OR	6,905	7,487	8,080
WA	10,653	11,922	12,960
Region	76,730	83,000	89,507
U.S.	549,838	567,628	599,601
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
AK	101.3	128.1	139.6
CA	158.4	151.5	150.6
HI	158.3	166.6	176.6
NV	183.8	166.2	176.4
OR	203.5	196.6	191.6
WA	182.3	178.8	170.2
Region	165.0	159.1	158.2
U.S.	197.0	185.0	182.7

(*) number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 12, 2021

Heart Disease Deaths in the Mid-East Region

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, accounting for just over 659,000 deaths in 2019, or about 23% of all deaths in the U.S. that year.  With advances in medical knowledge, the incidence of death by heart disease has dropped considerably over the past twenty years, from 259.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 200.8 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.  That said, the heart disease death rate nationally has been creeping higher since the middle of the last decade.  The national experience with heart disease deaths is mirrored in the Mid-East region of the country.  While the heart disease death rate in the Mid-East region declined from 1999 to 2019, it did so to a greater extent than did most of the nation.  Whereas the region had a heart disease death rate per 100,000 population that was about 17% higher than the nation as a whole in 1999, by 2019 the Mid-East's heart disease death rate had dropped to only 12% above the national average.  A closer examination of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about the trend in heart disease deaths in the Mid-East region of the country:

Heart Disease Deaths in the Mid-East Region

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
DE	2,011	1,796	2,053
DC	1,652	1,288	1,187
MD	12,080	11,210	11,770
NJ	23,493	18,086	18,716
NY	58,987	47,283	43,806
PA	41,707	32,297	32,299
Region	139,930	111,960	109,831
U.S.	725,192	599,413	659,041
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
DE	259.5	201.4	210.8
DC	289.7	217.5	168.2
MD	229.9	195.6	194.7
NJ	281.0	206.6	210.7
NY	312.4	244.9	225.2
PA	340.1	255.0	252.3
Region	303.5	233.5	224.8
U.S.	259.9	195.4	200.8

(*) number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 9, 2021

Surgical Technologist Pay in the Southeast

May 2020 data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that more than 107,000 people were employed as surgical technologists in the United States. With over 29,800 surgical technologists employed, the twelve-state Southeast region accounted for nearly 28% of U.S. surgical technologist employment. The Southeast is the weakest region in the country for surgical technologist pay, with Virginia being the only state in the region with an annual mean wage for surgical technologists that exceeds the national average. Moreover, eight states in the Southeast ranked in the bottom ten nationally for surgical technologist annual mean wages. From May 2020 BLS data, here is a summary look at surgical technologist pay in the Southeast:

Surgical Technologist Pay in the Southeast

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	1,810	$38,660	51st
AR	1,290	$42,390	47th
FL	7,720	$46,710	34th
GA	3,400	$47,980	31st
KY	1,820	$44,180	44th
LA	1,980	$42,140	48th
MS	1,110	$41,520	49th
NC	3,210	$45,490	39th
SC	2,300	$43,880	45th
TN	2,250	$44,540	43rd
VA	2,080	$52,160	18th
WV	890	$39,890	50th
U.S.	107,400	$51,510	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 7, 2021

Drug Induced Deaths in the Great Lakes Region

In 2019 there were over 74,500 drug induced deaths in the United States, or about 22.7 drug induced deaths per 100,000 population.  Almost 95% of these fatalities were attributable to drug overdoses, both intentional and accidental.  In the twenty years from 1999 to 2019, the number of drug induced deaths nationally jumped by over 50,000 per year and the death rate per 100,000 population more than tripled. While all regions of the country experienced sharp increases in the number of drug induced deaths in the twenty years from 1999 to 2019, the experience in the five-state Great Lakes region was particularly bad.  From a drug induced death rate per 100,000 population that was almost 16% below the national average in 1999, by 2019 the region's drug induced death rate was over 20% above the national average rate.  A review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about drug induced deaths in the Great Lakes region.:

Drug Induced Deaths in the Great Lakes Region

State/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
IL	872	1,427	2,846
IN	251	929	1,756
MI	708	1,750	2,565
OH	534	1,340	4,440
WI	237	641	1,226
Region	2,602	6,087	12,833
U.S.	19,128	39,147	74,511
State/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
IL	7.1	11.2	22.5
IN	4.2	14.4	26.1
MI	7.2	17.7	25.7
OH	4.7	11.6	38.0
WI	4.4	11.3	21.1
Region	5.8	13.1	27.4
U.S.	6.9	12.8	22.7

(*) number of drug induced deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 5, 2021

Massage Therapist Pay in the Southwest

Recently released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data indicates that, as of May 2020, there were more than 85,000 massage therapists employed in the United States.  Over 8,000 of those massage therapy jobs were in the four-state Southwest region of the country.  An examination of BLS data reveals the Southwest to be a modestly poor one for massage therapist pay, with New Mexico being the only state in the region with massage therapist annual mean wages above the national average.  A closer look at BLS data from May 2020 shows us the following about massage therapist pay in the Southwest:

Massage Therapist Pay in the Southwest

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	2,910	$46,310	23rd
NM	450	$52,250	11th
OK	310	$39,910	41st
TX	4,440	$42,350	36th
U.S.	85,040	$47,350	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 5, 2021