American Public Health Association, our Trusted Link for July 2021

 

American Public Health Association The American Public Health Association (APHA) is a non-profit association for public health professionals headquartered in Washington, DC. Its membership includes more than 25,000 people from over 40 countries, although most are in the United States. APHA defines public health as the effort to prevent illness, injuries, and promote wellness in communities. Specific public health activities include Educating the public about ways to stay healthy Setting standards for safety and nutrition Preventing the spread of diseases Conducting and supporting scientific research on health. Among the jobs held by public health professionals are  Health educators Occupational health and safety professionals Emergency Medical Technicians Restaurant inspectors Epidemiologists and other scientists Social workers Physicians and nurses working in government settings. APHA was founded in 1872 by a group of physicians working to reduce the spread of communicable diseases. Their early work focused on control of tuberculosis. Starting in 1895 they began publishing guides for local governments to adopt for assuring healthy communities. Their standards include the management of water, sewage, safe milk, death certificates, air quality, and qualifications for public health workers. In 1965 they introduced the Public Health Law Manual.  Ten awards are issued at their annual meeting including the Sedgwick Memorial Medal for advancing public health knowledge and Helen Rodriguez-Trias Social Justice Award for helping underserved and disadvantages populations.  Publications include Over 70 public health books including Control of Communicable Diseases The American Journal of Public Health (peer-reviewed research) The Nation's Health (general public health news) Downloadable Fact Sheets  Reports and Briefs on critical health issues Members of the APHA advise members of government and other decisionmakers, advocating for the protection of public health. Learn more about their initiatives here.  AJPH Talks (Interviews and News)

Drug Induced Deaths in the Great Plains Region

More than 74,500 drug induced deaths were recorded in the United States in 2019. That's about 22.7 deaths per 100,000 population from drug induced causes.  Drug overdoses, both intentional and accidental, accounted for almost 95% of these deaths.  In the twenty year span from 1999 to 2019, the drug induced death rate per 100,000 population more than tripled in the United States.  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 seven-state Great Plains region was particularly bad.  During the same twenty year period that the national drug induced death rate more than tripled, in the Great Plains region the death rate more than quadrupled.  Although the region's death rate from drug induced causes was below the national average in 1999 and continued to be so in 2019, its drug induced death rate per 100,000 population surged from 3.6 in 1999 to 17.3 by 2019.  A examination 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 Plains region.:

Drug Induced Deaths in the Great Plains Region

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
IA	59	213	374
KS	100	318	430
MN	169	441	886
MO	294	881	1,649
NE	41	118	180
ND	15	28	95
SD	20	51	90
Region	698	2,050	3,704
U.S.	19,128	39,147	74,511
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
IA	2.0	7.0	11.9
KS	3.7	11.2	14.8
MN	3.5	8.4	15.7
MO	5.3	14.8	26.9
NE	2.4	6.5	9.3
ND	**	4.2	12.5
SD	2.7	6.3	10.2
Region	3.6	10.1	17.3
U.S.	6.9	12.8	22.7

(*) number of drug induced deaths per 100,000 population
(**) the CDC deems death rates as unreliable when the rate is calculated with a numerator less than 20

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

Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the U.S. Southwest

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published reports recently indicating that there were nearly 148,500 speech language pathologists (SLPs) working in the United States as of May 2020.  More than 19,000 of those employed as SLPs in the U.S. lived in the four-state Southwest region of the country.  The Southwest region is among the weakest regions in the country for speech language pathologist pay, with all four states in the region registering average SLP annual mean wage levels 4% to 10% below the national average.  An examination of BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about speech language pathologist pay in the U.S. Southwest:

Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the U.S. Southwest

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	2,670	$78,420	28th
NM	830	$79,390	24th
OK	1,550	$74,800	38th
TX	14,220	$75,240	36th
U.S.	148,450	$83,240	-------

(*) 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 2, 2021

Physical Therapy Assistant Pay in the Great Lakes Region

May 2020 data released recently by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported there being nearly 93,000 physical therapy (PT) assistants at work in the United States.  About 17,000 physical therapy assistants worked in the five-state Great Lakes region of the country. BLS data shows a good amount of pay disparity in the region for PT assistant pay.  The data indicates that about 60% of the region's PT assistants work in either Illinois or Ohio, two states where the average PT assistant annual mean wage exceeds the national average.  Indeed, Ohio was a top 10 state for PT assistant annual mean wages.  However, elsewhere in the region annual mean wages for PT assistants runs below the national average, particularly in Michigan and Wisconsin.  A deeper look at BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about physical therapy assistant pay in the Great Lakes region of the U.S.:

Physical Therapy Assistant Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	3,820	$60,580	14th
IN	2,090	$58,330	22nd
MI	3,100	$54,240	37th
OH	6.400	$61,440	10th
WI	1,620	$52,930	41st
U.S.	92,740	$59,440	-------

(*) 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 29, 2021

Firearm Deaths in New England

In 2019, the United States incurred more than 39,700 firearm deaths, or about 12.1 firearm deaths per 100,000 population.  By 2019, firearms-caused deaths per 100,000 population in the U.S. had increased about 17% from 1999 levels.  The six-state New England region witnessed similar growth in its firearm death rate, which rose from 5.0 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 5.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.  Despite this unfavorable experience, New England remains the region of the country with the lowest firearms-caused death rate 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 the trend in firearm deaths in New England over the past twenty years:

Firearm Deaths in New England

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
CT	199	173	190
MA	195	207	247
ME	113	122	163
NH	71	89	156
RI	56	56	48
VT	57	60	67
Region	691	707	871
U.S.	28,874	31,347	39,707
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
CT	5.9	4.9	5.3
MA	3.1	3.2	3.6
ME	8.9	9.2	12.1
NH	5.8	6.8	11.5
RI	5.4	5.3	4.5
VT	9.4	9.6	10.7
Region	5.0	4.9	5.9
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

Radiologic Tech Pay in the Mid-East U.S. Region

Data released earlier this year from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that, as of May 2020, there were nearly 207,000 radiologic technicians and technologists employed in the United States.  The Mid-East region of the U.S. held a bit more than 32,000 of those radiologic technologist and technician jobs.  BLS data reveals the region to be a dichotomous one for radiologic tech pay.  New York and the District of Columbia rank in the top 10 nationally for radiologic tech annual mean wages; and about two-thirds of radiologic techs in the region work in a state where the average annual mean wage exceeds the national average for radiologic techs.  However, 30% of the region's radiologic techs are employed in Pennsylvania, where the annual mean wage runs almost 13% below the national average.  A closer examination of May 2020 data from the BLS reveals the following about radiologic tech pay in Mid-East U.S. region:

Radiologic Tech Pay in the Mid-East U.S. Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	440	$82,270	3rd
DE	670	$63,720	20th
MD	3,670	$70,530	14th
NJ	5,390	$71,450	12th
NY	12,170	$73,150	9th
PA	9,790	$56,440	37th
U.S.	206,720	$64,840	-------

(*) 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 26, 2021

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in New England

More than 326,000 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians were employed in the United States as of May 2020 according to data released earlier this summer by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Just over 19,000 clinical lab techs were employed in the six-state New England region.  For clinical lab techs, New England is one of the best in the nation in terms of pay.  The average annual mean wage for clinical lab techs in every state in the region is near or above the national average. Moreover, three states in the region rank in the top 10 nationally for clinical lab tech annual mean wages.  BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about clinical lab tech pay in New England:

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in New England

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CT	3,890	$69,340	2nd
MA	11,460	$59,810	14th
ME	1,330	$55,940	21st
NH	710	$63,850	9th
RI	990	$68,570	4th
VT	770	$57,870	17th
U.S.	326,220	$55,990	-------

(*) 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 18, 2021

Cancer Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in United States, accounting for over 599,000 deaths in 2019, or about 21% of all deaths in the U.S. that year.  Thanks to advancements in medical knowledge, the death rate from cancer has dropped modestly over the past twenty years. From 197.0 cancer deaths per 100,000 population in 1999, the cancer death rate had dropped 7.3%, to 182.7 deaths per 100,000 population, by 2019.  The national trend in cancer deaths is also seen in the twelve-state Southeastern U.S. region, although the improvement has been more modest.  The region, which historically has worse cancer death rates than most sections of the country, saw its cancer death rate drop only 5.5% between 1999 and 2019, from 212.6 deaths per 100,000 population to 200.9 deaths per 100,000 population.  A closer examination of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, reveals the following about cancer deaths in the Southeastern U.S.:

Cancer Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
AL	9,506	10,289	10,266
AR	6,137	6,513	6,482
FL	38,478	40,932	45,583
GA	13,225	15,143	17,756
KY	8,925	9,634	9,975
LA	9,412	9,098	9,485
MS	6,143	6,131	6,587
NC	15,815	17,513	19,951
SC	8,089	9,123	10,487
TN	11,943	13,482	14,382
VA	13,365	14,122	15,045
WV	4,762	4,786	4,604
Region	145,800	156,766	170,603
U.S.	549,838	567,628	599,601
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
AL	214.6	216.2	209.4
AR	231.4	224.8	214.8
FL	244.2	219.4	212.2
GA	164.4	157.4	167.2
KY	222.1	223.2	223.3
LA	211.0	202.6	204.0
MS	217.2	207.2	221.3
NC	198.9	185.3	190.2
SC	203.5	198.8	203.7
TN	211.8	213.8	210.6
VA	190.9	178.2	176.3
WV	262.8	259.0	256.9
Region	212.6	201.5	200.9
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 July 17, 2021

Healthcare Social Worker Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

Earlier this summer the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published data indicating that, as of May 2020, there were more than 176,000 healthcare social workers (HSWs) at work in the U.S.  More than 38,000 of those HSW jobs were in the twelve-state Southeastern region of the country.  BLS data reveals the Southeastern U.S. to be a generally poor one for healthcare social worker pay, as no state in the region registers a HSW annual mean wage that tops the national average of $60,470. Moreover, half the states in the region have a HSW annual mean wages that ranks 40th or worse nationally. BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about healthcare social worker pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Healthcare Social Worker Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	2,360	$48,310	49th
AR	1,320	$53,370	39th
FL	10,200	$54,250	37th
GA	3,610	$51,730	45th
KY	2,160	$52,310	42nd
LA	1,790	$55,450	36th
MS	1,430	$48,260	50th
NC	3.370	$57,670	24th
SC	1,980	$57,790	23rd
TN	6,160	$49,990	47th
VA	3,480	$56,350	32nd
WV	830	$52,540	41st
U.S.	176,110	$60,470	-------

(*) 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 17, 2021

Nurse Practitioner Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

Data published earlier this summer by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were over 211,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) working in the United States as of May 2020.  More than 22,500 nurse practitioner jobs in the U.S. were in the four-state Southwestern region of the country.  The Southwestern region is a relatively good one for nurse practitioner pay.  More than 90% of NPs in the Southwestern U.S. live in one of the three states in the region where NP annual mean wages exceed the national average of $114,510. A closer look at BLS data from May 2020 shows the following about nurse practitioner pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Nurse Practitioner Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	4,790	$117,480	11th
NM	1,080	$117,050	13th
OK	1,970	$112,750	22nd
TX	14,680	$116,700	15th
U.S.	211,280	$114,510	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 17, 2021

Dental Hygienist Pay in the U.S. Far West

Data recently published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were nearly 195,000 dental hygienists working in the United States as of May 2020.  More than 31,000 dental hygienists were working in the six-state U.S. Far West region according to BLS reports.  The region is the strongest one in the nation for dental hygienist pay, with all states in the region ranking among the top ten in the country for dental hygienist annual mean wages.  A closer look at May 2020 BLS data reveals the following about dental hygienist pay in the U.S. Far West:

Dental Hygienist pay in the U.S. Far West

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	610	$115,050	1st
CA	17,880	$109,970	2nd
HI	980	$86,970	9th
NV	2,430	$89,360	5th
OR	3,310	$86,450	10th
WA	6,290	$95,450	3rd
U.S.	194,830	$78,050	-------

(*) 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 17, 2021

Heart Disease Deaths in New England

Heart disease is the top cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 659,000 deaths in 2019, or about 23% of all deaths in the USA that year.  Improvements in medical know-how have significantly reduced the heart disease death rate over the past twenty years. From 259.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999, by 2019 the death rate attributable to heart disease had dropped to 200.8 deaths per 100,000 population.  Nevertheless, the heart disease death rate nationally has been inching back up since the middle of the last decade.  The national experience with heart disease deaths is mirrored in the six-state New England region, where the 2019 death rate of 192.2 per 100,000 population was 25% lower than it was in 1999.  A deeper dive into data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, discloses the following about the trend in heart disease deaths in New England:

Heart Disease Deaths in New England

Area/Deaths	1999	2009	2019
CT	9,127	7,105	7,354
MA	15,871	12,322	11,761
ME	3,418	2,674	2,940
NH	2,751	2,268	2,707
RI	3,008	2,411	2,404
VT	1,342	1,171	1,368
Region	35,517	27,951	28,534
U.S.	725,192	599,413	659,041
Area/Death Rate*	1999	2009	2019
CT	269.5	199.5	206.3
MA	251.2	189.1	170.6
ME	269.8	201.1	218.7
NH	225.1	172.3	199.1
RI	289.1	228.8	226.9
VT	221.9	187.4	219.2
Region	256.7	194.1	192.2
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

Medical Assistant Pay in the Great Plains Region

Recently produced employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts medical assistant (MA) employment in the United States at over 710,000 as of May 2020.  Approximately 34,000 of those MA jobs were in the seven-state Great Plains region of the country.  BLS data paints a mixed picture for MA pay in the Great Plains region. Minnesota ranks in the top 5 nationally for medical assistant annual mean wages according to BLS data, while Iowa and North Dakota rank in the top 20.  However, three states in the region rank 40th or lower nationally for MA annual mean wages.  A closer look at BLS data reveals the following about medical assistant pay in the Great Plains region as of May 2020:

Medical Assistant Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	5,290	$37,660	19th
KS	5,510	$32,030	44th
MN	9,320	$43,090	5th
MO	10,110	$33,540	40th
NE	2,710	$35,810	26th
ND	340	$38,380	16th
SD	920	$31,910	45th
U.S.	710,200	$36,930	-------

(*) 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 15, 2021

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the U.S. Mid-East Region

Recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that, as of May 2020, there were just over 98,000 family medicine physicians employed in the United States.  More than 11,000 of those employed as family medicine physicians lived in the five-state Mid-East region of the country.  BLS data reveals a wide pay disparity for Mid-East region family medicine physicians. Practitioners in New York and the District of Columbia live in two of the ten worst states for family medicine physician annual mean wages.  However, practitioners New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania earn, on average, annual mean wages that top the national average.  An examination of May 2020 data from the BLS tells us the following about family medicine physician pay in the U.S. Mid-East region:

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the U.S. Mid-East Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	N/A	$174,210	49th
DE	560	$222,930	18th
MD	1,400	$213,150	32nd
NJ	1,630	$224,300	16th
NY	4,170	$200,170	42nd
PA	3,440	$218,310	24th
U.S.	98,590	$214,370	-------

(*) 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 12, 2021