The most current occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) put the number of working medical transcriptionists at more than 55,800 as of May 2021.  At that time, about 3.7% of all medical transcriptionist jobs were in the six-state New England region.  An examination of BLS data revealed New England to be one of the top paying regions in the nation for medical transcriptionists. Every New England state recorded a medical transcriptionist annual mean wage level that exceeded the national average for the profession, with Connecticut ranked as the top state in the nation for medical transcriptionist annual mean wages.  A closer review of BLS data from May 2021 reveals the following about medical transcriptionist pay in New England:

Medical Transcriptionist Pay in New England

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CT	900	$49,810	1st
MA	700	$39,950	11th
ME	140	$37,630	17th
NH	140	$39,060	15th
RI	140	$36,160	24th
VT	50	$42,380	9th
U.S.	55,830	$34,220	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on May 28, 2022

More than 38,000 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologists were working in the United States as of May 2021 according to the latest occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  At that time, the Mid-Eastern U.S., a region that encompasses the District of Columbia and five states, accounted for nearly 6,200 MRI technologist jobs.  BLS data revealed the Mid-Eastern U.S. to be a mostly strong one for MRI technologist pay, with four states in the region attaining an annual mean wage level for MRI technologists that was above the national average for the profession. This included the District of Columbia and two Mid-Eastern states ranking among the ten best states in the nation for MRI technologist annual mean wages.  That said, the pay story was not favorable for MRI technologists in Pennsylvania, home to more than a quarter of the region's MRI technologists. The annual mean wage level for MRI technologists in Pennsylvania rated among the ten lowest in the nation for the profession. Further study of May 2021 BLS data provides the following details about MRI technologist pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

MRI Technologist Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	160	$91,080	7th
DE	190	$77,070	24th
MD	990	$80,910	17th
NJ	900	$88,140	9th
NY	2,230	$89,110	8th
PA	1,700	$68,020	43rd
U.S.	38,070	$77,820	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on May 28, 2022

Homicides accounted for more than 24,500 deaths in the United States in 2020.  A closer examination of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics provides the following details about U.S. homicide rates by region (to see state level data, follow the "Region" links in the table below):

U.S. Homicide Rates by Region

Region	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Far West	3,165	56,579,620	5.6
Great Lakes	4,122	46,834,910	8.8
Great Plains	1,460	21,481,834	6.8
Mid-East	3,153	48,757,828	6.5
New England	413	14,847,468	2.8
Rocky Mountain	563	12,547,416	4.5
Southeast	8,405	85,565,785	9.8
Southwest	3,295	42,869,262	7.7
U.S. Total	24,576	329,484,123	7.5

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

Report Period: 2020

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 May 21, 2022

Over 58,000 clinical psychologists were working in the United States as of May 2021 according to the most current occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  With just under 12,800 employed clinical psychologists at that time, the six-state U.S. Far West region accounted for 22% of all clinical psychologist jobs in the nation. BLS data revealed the region to be the tops in the nation for clinical psychologist pay.  Although two Far West states recorded clinical psychologist annual mean wage levels that were below the national average for the profession, nearly 90% of the clinical psychologists in the region lived in a state that rated among the top ten in the nation for that pay metric.  Closer examination of May 2021 BLS data details the following about clinical psychologist pay in U.S. Far West region:

Clinical Psychologist Pay in the U.S. Far West

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	110	$92,450	26th
CA	10,250	$122,790	4th
HI	380	$113,040	7th
NV	220	$95,830	22nd
OR	850	$126,230	3rd
WA	970	$103,190	14th
U.S.	58,100	$99,640	-------

(*) 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 21, 2022

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Our Trusted Link for May, 2022

 

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

The Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (ranked #13 by U.S. News among Best Hospitals) consists of several merged hospitals and facilities in central Philadelphia, including the Pennsylvania Hospital, the Perelman School of Medicine (at University of Pennsylvania), and Presbyterian Hospital.  Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. It's one of the earliest public hospitals in the U.S.  Its main building, dating to 1756, is a National Historic Landmark. It established the first U.S. medical library in 1762.  An early maternity ward was established there in 1803, and in the 20th century, many obstetrical landmarks occurred.  It houses the first U.S. surgical amphitheater, created in 1804.  From Wikipedia: "Pennsylvania Hospital gained a reputation as a center of innovation and medical advancement, particularly in the area of maternity. It was a teaching hospital from its very beginning, when [founder Dr. Thomas] Bond would lead rounds.... In its early years it was also known for its particularly advanced and humane facilities for mentally ill patients.... [War-wounded] patients were brought to the hospital... in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and units... were sent abroad... in World War I and II." Perelman School of Medicine The nation's first medical school, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine opened in 1765. In 1874, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was established as the nation's first teaching hospital. A donation led to its renaming as Perelman School of Medicine in 2011.  U.S. News ranked it the 6th best Medical School for Research in 2022-23, tied with Duke University. It's ranked #1 for Pediatrics, #3 in Radiology and in Obstetrics/Gynecology, #4 for Internal Medicine and in Surgery, and #6 for Psychiatry.  Important milestones: First vaccination for pneumonia Introduction of total intravenous feeding Pioneering work in radiology Co-discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome, showing connection between genetic abnormalities and cancer Early programs in dermatology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, radiology, and organ transplantation.  Presbyterian Hospital ("Presby") was founded by Reverend Ephraim D. Saunders in 1871 and formally joined the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 1995. In 1887, its School of Nursing was founded. Its contributions to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center also include the Philadelphia Heart Institute, the Scheie Eye Institute and Penn Orthopedics.  Publications and Media News from Penn Medicine Clinical Reports (for healthcare professionals) Penn Medicine Magazine Physician Video Center Facebook

Microbiology Milestones at Penn

The table below lists the ten U.S states with the weakest gun control laws (as of 5/14/22) according to research done by the Giffords Law Center. Correlating this list with homicide death data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC, we found that in 2020 the collective homicide rate for these ten weak gun control states was, at 9.8 deaths per 100,000 population, more than 30% higher than the national homicide rate.  However, the collective results were heavily skewed by inordinately high homicide rates in four states in the group (Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas).  The other six weak gun control states in the group recorded homicide rates in 2020 that were at, or below, that national average homicide rate.

Visit the Giffords Law Center for more about their research into gun laws and for their rankings of U.S. states by the strength of their respective gun control laws.

Homicide Rates in States with the Weakest Gun Control Laws

**	State	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
41	Alaska	55	731,158	7.5
42	Kentucky	404	4,477,251	9.0
43	Arizona	525	7,421,401	7.1
44	South Dakota	52	892,717	5.8
45	Mississippi	576	2,966,786	19.4
46	Kansas	195	2,913,805	6.7
47	Missouri	803	6,151,548	13.1
48	Idaho	42	1,826,913	2.3
49	Wyoming	25	582,328	4.3
50	Arkansas	371	3,030,522	12.2
	Sub-total	3,048	30,994,429	9.8
	U.S.	24,576	329,484,123	7.5

(**) status of gun control laws ranked strongest to weakest
(*) number of homicide deaths per 100,000 population

Report Period: 2020

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 May 14, 2022

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest occupational employment data reported more than 38,700 optometrists at work in the United States as of May 2021.  At that time, just over 5,900 optometrists were employed in the five-state Great Lakes region. BLS data shows the region to be a modestly weak one for optometrist pay.  No state in the region produced an annual mean wage level for optometrists that topped the national average, and Illinois rated among the ten worst states in the nation for that pay metric. A deeper look into BLS data from May 2021 details the following about optometrist pay in the Great Lakes region:

Optometrist Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	1,770	$111,790	42nd
IN	940	$117,710	33rd
MI	1,030	$122,140	28th
OH	1,220	$118,020	32nd
WI	960	$123,320	27th
U.S.	38,720	$125,440	-------

(*) 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 21, 2022

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most current occupational employment data put the number of employed medical transcriptionists at nearly 56,000 as of May 2021.  At that time, more than 7,300 medical transcriptionists were employed in the four-state Southwestern U.S. region.  An examination of BLS data reveals the Southwestern U.S. to be one of the weaker paying regions in the nation for medical transcriptionists. Oklahoma was the only state in the region where the medical transcriptionist annual mean wage level was above the national average for the profession, while every other state in the region ranked in the bottom quartile of all states for that pay metric for medical transcriptionists.  Further review of BLS data from May 2021 reveals the following about medical transcriptionist pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Medical Transcriptionist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	1,200	$32,490	39th
NM	410	$28,150	50th
OK	760	$37,080	20th
TX	4,980	$30,170	46th
U.S.	55,830	$34,220	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on May 21, 2022

The table below lists the ten U.S states with the strongest gun control laws (as of 5/14/22) according to research done by the Giffords Law Center. Correlating this list with homicide statistics from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, we found that in 2020 homicide rates were materially lower in 8 of the 10 states with the strictest gun control laws. Collectively, the ten states with the strongest gun control laws registered a homicide rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,000 population, more than 21% lower than the national homicide rate in 2020.

Visit the Giffords Law Center for more information on their research into gun control laws and for their complete ranking of U.S. states by the strength of their respective gun laws.

Homicide Rates in States with the Strongest Gun Control Laws

**	State	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
1	California	2,368	39,368,078	6.0
2	New Jersey	362	8,882,371	4.1
3	Connecticut	152	3,557,006	4.3
4	Hawaii	46	1,407,006	3.3
5	Massachusetts	183	6,893,574	2.7
6	New York	875	19,336,776	4.5
7	Maryland	649	6,055,802	10.7
8	Illinois	1,353	12,587,530	10.7
9	Rhode Island	29	1,057,125	2.7
10	Washington	322	7,693,612	4.2
	Sub-total	6,339	106,838,880	5.9
	U.S.	24,576	329,484,123	7.5

(**) status of gun control laws ranked strongest to weakest
(*) number of homicide deaths per 100,000 population

Report Period: 2020

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 May 14, 2022

As of May 2021, more than 38,000 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologists were working in the United States according to the latest occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  At that time, nearly 10,800 MRI technologists were employed in the twelve-state Southeastern region of the country.  BLS data revealed the Southeastern U.S. to be the worst region of the country for MRI technologist pay. Not only did every Southeastern state have an average annual mean wage level for MRI technologists that was below the national average for the profession, but eight states in the region ranked among the ten worst states in the nation for MRI technologist annual mean wages.  A closer study of May 2021 BLS data provides the following details about MRI technologist pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

MRI Technologist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	510	$64,970	46th
AR	360	$60,970	48th
FL	3,270	$67,590	44th
GA	1,370	$71,610	28th
KY	480	$69,160	42nd
LA	760	$59,740	50th
MS	260	$58,810	51st
NC	980	$71,310	29th
SC	450	$65,950	45th
TN	1,140	$64,250	47th
VA	1,020	$77,170	23rd
WV	180	$69,380	41st
U.S.	38,070	$77,820	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on May 18, 2022

In excess of 58,000 clinical psychologists were working in the United States as of May 2021 according to recent occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  At that time, the five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for 2,500 clinical psychologist jobs, or about 4.3% of total national employment for the profession.  BLS data revealed the region to be one of the weakest in the nation for clinical psychologist pay. The annual mean wage for clinical psychologists in every state in the region was at least 12% below the national average, with two states being more than 20% below that average.  A further review of May 2021 data from the BLS reveals the following state-level details about clinical psychologist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Clinical Psychologist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	980	$86,760	33rd
ID	330	$77,070	42nd
MT	180	$87,310	31st
UT	910	$87,030	32nd
WY	100	$72,900	47th
U.S.	58,100	$99,640	-------

(*) 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, 2022

Over 24,500 deaths in the United States in 2020 were attributable to homicides according to data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC. A closer inspection of that data reveals the states in the table below to be the ten states with the lowest homicide rates in 2020.  This group collectively was home to 9% of the total U.S. population but accounted for only 3.7% of all U.S. homicide deaths in 2020.  At 3.1 deaths per 100,000 population, the collective homicide rate of this group was nearly 59% lower than the national homicide rate in 2020.

Ten States with the Lowest Homicide Rates

**	State	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
41	North Dakota	30	765,309	3.9
42	Oregon	157	4,241,507	3.7
43	Minnesota	198	5,657,342	3.5
44	Iowa	106	3,163,561	3.4
45	Hawaii	46	1,407,006	3.3
46	Utah	95	3,249,879	2.9
47	Massachusetts	183	6,893,574	2.7
48	Rhode Island	29	1,057,125	2.7
49	Idaho	42	1,826,913	2.3
50	Maine	21	1,350,141	1.6
	Sub-total	907	29,612,357	3.1
	U.S.	24,576	329,484,123	7.5

(**) death rate ranking from highest to lowest (minimum 20 reported deaths)
(*) number of homicide deaths per 100,000 population

Report Period: 2020

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 May 14, 2022

The most recent occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that over 38,700 optometrists were employed in the United States as of May 2021.  At that time, about 5,200 optometrists were employed in the Mid-Eastern U.S., a region that includes five states and the District of Columbia. BLS data shows the region to be a generally strong one for optometrist pay.  Although Delaware ranked among the weakest states in the nation for optometrist annual mean wages, the other four states in the region rated among the fifteen best states in the nation on that pay metric for optometrists. A deeper dive into BLS data from May 2021 reveals the following details about optometrist pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Optometrist Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	80	-------	NR
DE	110	$106,090	45th
MD	630	$144,570	2nd
NJ	660	$132,930	12th
NY	1,620	$137,860	7th
PA	2,090	$131,860	13th
U.S.	38,720	$125,440	-------

(*) 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 14, 2022

In 2020, there were more than 24,500 deaths in the United States attributable to homicides according to data compiled by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. A closer examination of that data identifies the states in the table below as being the ten states with the highest homicide rates in 2020.  Collectively, this group held just under 17% of the total U.S. population but accounted for 28% of the country's homicides in 2020.  At 12.6 deaths per 100,000 population, the collective homicide rate of this group was more than two-thirds higher than the national homicide rate in 2020.

Ten States with the Highest Homicide Rates

**	State	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
1	Mississippi	576	2,966,786	19.4
2	Louisiana	873	4,645,318	18.8
3	Alabama	654	4,921,532	13.3
4	Missouri	803	6,151,548	13.1
5	Arkansas	371	3,030,522	12.2
6	South Carolina	622	5,218,040	11.9
7	Tennessee	753	6,886,834	10.9
8	Illinois	1,353	12,587,530	10.7
9	Maryland	649	6,055,802	10.7
10	New Mexico	216	2,106,319	10.3
	Sub-total	6,870	54,570,231	12.6
	U.S.	24,576	329,484,123	7.5

(**) death rate ranking from highest to lowest
(*) number of homicide deaths per 100,000 population

Report Period: 2020

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 May 14, 2022

The latest occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put May 2021 employment numbers for medical transcriptionists at nearly 56,000.  A review of BLS data reveals the Far Western U.S. to be one of the top pay regions in the nation for medical transcriptionists. Every state in the region recorded medical transcriptionist annual mean wage levels that were at or above the national average for the profession. Moreover, the region was home to three of the top 10 states in the nation for medical transcriptionist annual mean wages.  A closer look at BLS data from May 2021 tells us the following about medical transcriptionist pay in the U.S. Far West:

Medical Transcriptionist Pay in the U.S. Far West

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	100	$44,730	2nd
CA	n/a	$34,220	31st
HI	40	$43,230	7th
NV	320	$37,520	18th
OR	1,160	$39,520	12th
WA	740	$43,380	6th
U.S.	55,830	$34,220	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on May 9, 2022