Saturday, December 31, 2022

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

The 2020 calendar year produced over 90,400 cancer deaths in the Mid-Eastern U.S., a region that encompasses five states and the District of Columbia.  At 185.4 cancer deaths per 100,000 population, the region's cancer death rate was less than 1.5% above the national average.  Consistent with patterns seen elsewhere in the country, there was a wide divide in cancer death rates between urban and rural parts of the region. In counties in rural areas and small-to-medium-sized metro areas in the Mid-Eastern U.S., cancer death rates in 2020 were considerably higher than in counties that comprise the region's largest population centers.  A closer review of National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data provides the following details about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

County Classification Deaths Population Death Rate*
Large Central Metro 25,377 16,027,707 158.3
Large Fringe Metro 37,313 20,382,556 183.1
Medium Metro 14,678 6,793,188 216.1
Small Metro 5,723 2,615,582 218.8
Micropolitan (Nonmetro) 5,099 2,074,663 245.8
NonCore (Nonmetro) 2,220 864,132 256.9
     Region 90,410 48,757,828 185.4
Nationally 602,350 329,484,123 182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on December 29, 2022

Friday, December 30, 2022

Medicare Short Stay Hospital Beds in the Far West

In Medicare parlance, a short-stay hospital is a hospital that provides acute inpatient care. For Medicare program purposes, the short-stay hospital designation excludes many hospitals that specialize in a particular type of care, such as psychiatric, rehabilitation, children's, and long-term care hospitals. Also excluded from the short-stay hospital designation are certain small hospitals, with fewer than 25 beds, that serve rural areas and that meet other criteria for categorization as a "critical access hospital" (CAH). CAHs are eligible for certain financial benefits from the Medicare program that are not available to standard short-stay hospitals.

Short-stay hospitals are integral to the hospital infrastructure serving more than 62 million Americans having Medicare Part A insurance coverage.  Of the more than 6,200 hospitals participating in the Medicare program in the calendar year 2020, 56% were short-stay hospitals.  More significantly, short-stay hospitals accounted for more than 83% of the total hospital beds serving the needs of Medicare Part A enrollees.  

In the six-state Far West region of the U.S., as of the calendar year 2020, there were 455 short-stay hospitals, with just under 98,800 beds, participating in the Medicare program.  While the region was home to 15% of the nation's Medicare Part A enrollment, it had less than 13% of the Medicare program's short-stay hospital beds.  Here is a state-level look at Medicare short-stay hospital beds in the Far West region of the U.S.:

Medicare Short Stay Hospital Beds in the Far West

Medicare Short Stay Hospital Beds in the Far West

# Part A Enrollees # Hospitals # Beds
Alaska 104,078 8 1,210
California 6,281,323 328 71,358
Hawaii 280,787 12 2,054
Nevada 546,759 23 6,240
Oregon 885,544 34 7,115
Washington 1,397,182 50 10,803
Region 9,495,673 455 98,780
National* 62,498,751 3,481 774,873
% of National 15.2% 13.1% 12.7%

* National totals include U.S. territories

Source:  CMS Program Statistics, Table: MDCR PROVIDERS 4. Medicare Providers:  Number of Medicare Certified Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Number of Beds, by State, Territories, Possessions, and Other, Calendar Year 2020

Thursday, December 29, 2022

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in Florida

According to certified bed count data from the Third Quarter 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the state of Florida:

  1. AdventHealth Orlando
    Location:  Orlando
    Certified Bed Count:  3,220

  2. Jackson Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Miami
    Certified Bed Count:  2,230

  3. Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center
    Location:  Orlando
    Certified Bed Count:  1,738

  4. Baycare / St. Joseph's Hospital
    Location:  Tampa
    Certified Bed Count:  1,364

  5. Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
    Location:  Jacksonville
    Certified Bed Count:  1,119

  6. UF Health Shands Hospital
    Location:  Gainesville
    Certified Bed Count:  1,111

  7. Tampa General Hospital
    Location:  Tampa
    Certified Bed Count:  1,041

  8. Memorial Regional Hospital
    Location:  Hollywood
    Certified Bed Count:  1,013

  9. Baptist Hospital of Miami
    Location:  Miami
    Certified Bed Count:  948

  10. Lee Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Fort Myers
    Certified Bed Count:  895



Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Plains Region

In the seven-state Great Plains region, cancer accounted for nearly 41,300 deaths in 2020.  Relative to population size, the cancer death rate per 100,000 population in the region was about 5% above the national average.  While the region-wide cancer death rate was high compared to the national average, in the region's metropolitan areas cancer death rates were at, or below, the national norm.  On the other hand, in counties in the region's smaller population centers and rural areas, cancer death rates in 2020 were significantly higher than in the nation as a whole.  Further study of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provides the following details about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Great Plains region:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Plains Region

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Plains Region

County Classification Deaths Population Death Rate*
Large Central Metro 4,643 2,819,881 164.7
Large Fringe Metro 8,823 5,016,579 175.9
Medium Metro 6,829 3,793,143 180.0
Small Metro 5,981 3,430,748 174.3
Micropolitan (Nonmetro) 6,775 3,140,344 215.7
NonCore (Nonmetro) 8,221 3,281,139 250.6
     Region 41,272 21,481,834 192.1
Nationally 602,350 329,484,123 182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on December 26, 2022

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

20 Best Metro Areas for Clinical Psychologist Pay

In our Clinical Psychologist employment snapshot, one can see that the major U.S. population centers are top employment centers for the profession.  However, a deeper dive into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that in smaller metro markets MRI technologists can often achieve better-paying employment. A review of May 2021 BLS data tells us that only four of the 20 biggest metropolitan centers in the U.S. were among the 20 best metro areas for clinical psychologist pay:

20 Best Metro Areas for Clinical Psychologist Pay

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 San Diego-Carlsbad (#) 1,050 $136,630
2 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 410 $134,200
3 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 530 $133,060
4 Napa, CA 170 $130,540
5 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#) 1,660 $129,880
6 New York-Newark-Jersey City (#) 3,880 $129,390
7 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 120 $129,070
8 Cleveland-Elyria, OH 390 $127,820
9 Hartford-W. Hartford-E. Hartford, CT 250 $125,070
10 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 150 $124,930
11 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 130 $124,480
12 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#) 3,500 $122,170
13 Las Cruces, NM 30 $120,880
14 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 180 $120,760
15 Madera, CA 80 $120,680
16 Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade 560 $119,240
17 Trenton, NJ 130 $119,020
18 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 100 $118,390
19 Stockton-Lodi, CA 110 $117,920
20 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 60 $117,040
National 58,100 $99,640

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 24, 2022

Monday, December 26, 2022

20 Best Metro Markets for MRI Technologist Pay

In our employment snapshot for MRI Technologists, it is readily evident that the biggest population centers in the U.S. are major employment centers for the profession.  Nevertheless, after a closer look into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data one will find that it is in smaller metro markets, not the large ones, where MRI technologists often achieve better-paying employment. An analysis of May 2021 BLS data reveals that only six of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the country were among the 20 best metro markets for MRI technologist pay:

20 Best Metro Markets for MRI Technologist Pay

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 160 $133,590
2 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (#) 330 $127,930
3 Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade 140 $120,550
4 Santa Rosa, CA 40 $119,780
5 San Diego-Carlsbad (#) 210 $108,540
6 Modesto, CA 30 $105,550
7 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#) 310 $105,040
8 Ancorage, AK 90 $104,800
9 Urban Honolulu, HI 70 $104,660
10 Fresno, CA 70 $103,180
11 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#) 910 $102,620
12 Salem, OR 30 $94,700
13 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 310 $94,570
14 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (#) 210 $94,440
15 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 270 $94,360
16 Visalia-Porterville, CA 30 $93,530
17 New York-Newark-Jersey City (#) 2,210 $93,150
18 Boulder, CO 40 $88,610
19 Eugene, OR 40 $88,390
20 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 220 $88,350
National 38,070 $77,820

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 24, 2022

Sunday, December 25, 2022

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in California

Based on certified bed count data from the Third Quarter, 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the state of California:

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in California

  1. LAC+USC Medical Center
    Location:  Los Angeles
    Certified Bed Count:  1,395

  2. Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
    Location:  San Jose, CA
    Certified Bed Count:  1,182

  3. UCSF Medical Center
    Location:  San Francisco
    Certified Bed Count:  1,019

  4. Sharp Memorial Hospital
    Location:  San Diego
    Certified Bed Count:  881

  5. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Location:  Los Angeles
    Certified Bed Count:  848

  6. Community Regional Medical Center
    Location:  Fresno, CA
    Certified Bed Count:  794

  7. Scripps Mercy Hospital
    Location:  San Diego
    Certified Bed Count:  700

  8. Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Zion
    Location:  San Diego, CA
    Certified Bed Count:  659

  9. UC Davis Medical Center
    Location:  Sacramento
    Certified Bed Count:  631

  10. Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Sacramento
    Location:  Sacramento
    Certified Bed Count:  628


Saturday, December 24, 2022

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

In 2020, cancer accounted for more than 95,300 deaths in the five-state Great Lakes region.  Relative to the size of its population, the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population in the region was more than 11% higher than the national average.  That said, the unfavorable comparison to the national average in 2020 was mostly attributable to counties in rural and small to medium-sized metropolitan areas in the region. In smaller Great Lakes region communities and rural areas, counties had cancer death rates in 2020 that were materially higher than in the nation or in the region as a whole.  Further examination of data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reveals the following about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Great Lakes region:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

County Classification Deaths Population Death Rate*
Large Central Metro 23,131 12,789,306 180.9
Large Fringe Metro 23,921 12,712,841 188.2
Medium Metro 15,848 7,561,867 209.6
Small Metro 11,081 5,248,208 211.1
Micropolitan (Nonmetro) 13,623 5,651,494 241.1
NonCore (Nonmetro) 7,750 2,871,194 269.9
     Region 95,354 46,864,910 203.6
Nationally 602,350 329,484,123 182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on December 19, 2022

Friday, December 23, 2022

The 20 Best Metropolitan Markets for Medical Transcriptionist Pay

As reported in our employment snapshot for Medical Transcriptionists, the biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S. are the major employment centers for the profession.  Even so, a more thorough review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that it is in smaller metropolitan markets where medical transcriptionists frequently realize better-paying employment. A closer examination of May 2021 BLS data reveals that only six of the 20 largest metro areas in the nation were among the 20 best metropolitan markets for medical transcriptionist pay:

The 20 Best Metropolitan Markets for Medical Transcriptionist Pay

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 110 $51,700
2 New Haven, CT 70 $49,600
3 Hartford - W. Hartford - E. Hartford, CT 560 $49,400
4 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#) N/A $48,350
5 Trenton, NJ 30 $47,780
6 Bend-Redmond, OR 70 $47,070
7 Chico, CA 110 $46,840
8 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#) 350 $46,070
9 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington (#) 340 $46,000
10 Duluth, MN-WI 50 $45,970
11 Modesto, CA 40 $45,170
12 Anchorage, AK 90 $43,500
13 Springfield, MA-CT 40 $43,240
14 Medford, OR 110 $42,700
15 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson (#) 150 $42,650
16 Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (#) 330 $42,590
17 Lincoln, NE 110 $42,470
18 Reading, PA 40 $42,330
19 Oklahoma City, OK 450 $42,170
20 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (#) 330 $41,600
National 55,830 $34,220

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 19, 2022

Thursday, December 22, 2022

The 20 Best Metro Areas for Optometrist Pay

As examined in our employment snapshot for Optometrists, the major metro areas in the U.S. are the largest employment centers for the profession.  However, looking further into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that optometrists often realize better-paying opportunities in smaller metropolitan markets. A review of May 2021 BLS data shows us that only one of the 20 largest metropolitan regions in the nation was among the 20 best metro areas for optometrist pay:

The 20 Best Metro Areas for Optometrist Pay

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 Wilmington, NC 70 $198,370
2 Hartford - W. Hartford - E. Hartford, CT 120 $172,190
3 Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 40 $169,140
4 Dothan, AL 40 $166,950
5 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 120 $163,590
6 Columbia, MO 40 $162,870
7 St. Louis, MO-IL 480 $157,230
8 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (#) 700 $156,650
9 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 40 $154,070
10 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 360 $150,890
11 Dayton, OH 100 $150,600
12 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 80 $150,010
13 Medford, OR 50 $149,070
14 Tulsa, OK 140 $148,850
15 Columbia, SC 70 $147,820
16 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 60 $144,720
17 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 180 $144,030
18 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 360 $143,000
19 Greensboro-High Point, NC 70 $140,910
20 Fayetteville, NC 40 $140,750
National 38,720 $125,440

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 19, 2022

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Southeast

According to certified bed count data from the Third Quarter 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the Southeast U.S.:


The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Southeast

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Southeast

  1. AdventHealth Orlando
    Location:  Orlando, FL
    Certified Bed Count:  3,220

  2. Jackson Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Miami, FL
    Certified Bed Count:  2,230

  3. Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center
    Location:  Orlando, FL
    Certified Bed Count:  1,738

  4. North Healthcare / Norton Hospital
    Location:  Louisville, KY
    Certified Bed Count:  1,730

  5. Methodist Healthcare / Methodist University Hospital
    Location:  Memphis, TN
    Certified Bed Count:  1,593

  6. Baycare / St. Joseph's Hospital
    Location:  Tampa, FL
    Certified Bed Count:  1,364

  7. UofLHealth Jewish Hospital
    Location:  Louisville, KY
    Certified Bed Count:  1,261

  8. UAB Hospital
    Location:  Birmingham, AL
    Certified Bed Count:  1,157

  9. Cone Health Moses Cone Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Greensboro, NC
    Certified Bed Count:  1,122

  10. Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
    Location:  Jacksonville, FL
    Certified Bed Count:  1,119



Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Far Western U.S.

In 2020 there were nearly 89,900 deaths in the six-state Far Western U.S. region that were attributable to cancer.  Relative to the size of its population, the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population in the Far West was about 13% lower than the national average.  While the region as a whole compared favorably to the national cancer death rate, most of the better results were concentrated in counties in the region's large to medium-sized metropolitan areas. In rural areas and smaller population centers in the Far West, counties recorded cancer death rates in 2020 that were significantly higher than in the whole region or the nation.  A closer review of data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provides the following details about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Far Western U.S.:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Far Western U.S.

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Far Western U.S.

County Classification Deaths Population Death Rate*
Large Central Metro 44,458 30,332,613 146.6
Large Fringe Metro 13,595 8,675,719 156.7
Medium Metro 18,314 11,295,695 162.1
Small Metro 6,107 3,184,983 191.7
Micropolitan (Nonmetro) 5,583 2,325,131 239.7
NonCore (Nonmetro) 1,822 756,133 241.0
     Region 89,869 56,570,274 158.9
Nationally 602,350 329,484,123 182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on December 17, 2022