Brigham & Women's Hospital, our Trusted Link for July 2022

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital is an academic medical center and teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Its member hospitals provide nearly 1,000 patient beds, and it employs almost 5,000 scientists. U.S. News ranks it #14 among Best Hospitals and #2 in its region. In specialties, it's #1 in the nation for Obstetrics & Gynecology, #4 in Cancer, #5 in Rheumatology, and #10 in Cardiology & Heart Surgery.  In 1980, Brigham and Women's was created by the merger of three hospitals: Boston Women's Hospital, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and the Robert Breck Brigham Hospital for arthritis and joint diseases. In 1998, they were joined by The Faulkner, a Boston community hospital.  Core service lines Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center Shapiro Cardiovascular Center Orthopedic and Arthritis Center Neurosciences Center Connors Center for Women's Health Osher Center for Integrative Medicine including chiropractic care Milestones 1832: Boston Lying-in Hospital, one of 1st maternity hospitals in U.S., opens 1875: Free Hospital for Women founded, including Boston's 1st cancer ward 1913: Peter Bent Brigham Hospital founded 1914: Robert Breck Brigham Hospital for arthritis and joint diseases founded by the nephew of Peter Bent Brigham Breakthroughs at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital: 1923: World's 1st successful heart valve surgery 1949: Blood transfusion system developed 1954:  World's 1st successful kidney transplant 1962: DC electric current used to restore heart rhythm 1966: Boston Lying-in Hospital and Free Hospital for Women merge to form the Boston Hospital for Women 1990: Nobel Prize awarded to Brigham and Women's Dr. Joseph Murray for pioneering work in organ transplants 2004: Nation's 1st Electronic Medication Administration System 2005: Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) established.  2013: Brigham Digital Innovation Hub founded.  Publications Brigham Health Hub includes numerous health guides, such as Managing Knee Pain and Avoiding Sports Injuries.  Brigham Clinical & Research News  Research Briefs For employees: Brigham Bulletin, Faulkner News, and Heart & Science (nursing) Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn

Deland Fellowship fostering healthcare leaders

The 22-23 U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals graded nearly 800 hospitals for their capabilities at providing rehabilitation services to patients recovering from severe illnesses or injuries.  The study graded hospitals on multiple metrics related to the outcomes for their rehabilitation patients, the scale of their rehabilitation programs, and the amount of recognition garnered by a hospital from within the rehabilitation care community.  Only one hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, in the six-state New England region graded out as a top 50 rehabilitation hospital in the 22-23 U.S. News survey.  That said, Spaulding is one of the preeminent rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, grading out in the survey as the 3rd best rehabilitation hospital in the country:

New England's Top Rehabilitation Hospital

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Location:  Boston, MA
National Rank:  #3 (See ranking details)

For a closer look at the metrics used to score rehabilitation hospitals in the 22-23 U.S. News survey, or to find the rehabilitation care rating of other New England hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation.

In 2020, approximately 3,613,600 births were recorded in the United States.  The seven-state Great Plains region registered 248,528 births in 2020, or about 6.9% of total births in the U.S. that year.  With 11.57 births per 1,000 population, the Great Plains' regional birth rate was nearly 5.5% higher than the national average birth rate.  All seven states in the region recorded a birth rate in 2020 that was above the national average.  Additional review of data from the National Center for Health Statistics provides the following state-level details about birth rates in the Great Plains region:

Birth Rates in the Great Plains Region

State	Births	Population	Birth Rate*
Iowa	36,114	3,163,561	11.42
Kansas	34,376	2,913,805	11.80
Minnesota	63,443	5,657,342	11.21
Missouri	69,285	6,151,548	11.26
Nebraska	24,291	1,937,552	12.54
North Dakota	10,059	765,309	13.14
South Dakota	10,960	892,717	12.28
Region	248,528	21,481,834	11.57
U.S.	3,613,647	329,484,123	10.97

(*) number of births per 1,000 population

Report Period: 2020

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Natality on CDC WONDER Online Database. Data are from the Natality Records 2016-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on July 29, 2022

The Best and Worst States for Chiropractor Pay

As of May 2021, there were just over 35,800 chiropractors working in the U.S. according to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Per that same data, the BLS estimated that the national mean wage for chiropractors was $81,240 per year.  While most chiropractors earn incomes in excess of the average annual wage for most workers, there is a wide disparity from state-to-state in chiropractors' annual mean wages.  As of May 2021, according to the BLS the ten best states for chiropractor pay were:

• Connecticut: $116,340
• New Jersey: $113,220
• Nevada: $112,420
• Massachusetts: $100,120
• New York: $97,380
• Wyoming: $96,110
• West Virginia: $95,640
• Washington: $93,120
• Rhode Island: $91,480
• North Dakota: $91,080

Bringing up the rear for chiropractor pay were these ten states:

• Arizona: $71,900
• Maine: $71,580
• South Carolina: $70,830
• Tennessee: $70,760
• Utah: $70,190
• Hawaii: $65,930
• New Mexico: $63,440
• Iowa: $60,540
• Georgia: $57,220
• Montana: $53,070

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 29, 2022

The Best and Worst States for Health Services Management Pay

There were just under 436,800 health services management jobs in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Health services managers, ranging from chief executives to front-line supervisors, play a key role in maximizing the operational effectiveness of a wide variety of healthcare businesses, including hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient care centers, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care service providers. Because of this key operational role, health services management positions tend to pay more than most healthcare occupations, excluding certain high-skill clinical occupations in medicine and dentistry.  The BLS estimated that, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for health service managers was $119,840 per year. An examination of May 2021 BLS data shows these ten states were the best for health services management pay:

• New York: $155,430
• District of Columbia: $151,370
• Massachusetts: $140,270
• Washington: $138,580
• New Jersey: $136,580
• Maryland: $135,870
• Delaware: $134,710
• North Dakota: $134,320
• California: $132,180
• Rhode Island: $132,080

Bringing up the rear for health services management pay were these ten states:

• Kentucky: $104,220
• Indiana: $102,790
• Kansas: $102,230
• Maine: $102,070
• Oklahoma: $99,920
• Iowa: $97,240
• Montana: $95,670
• Mississippi: $94,270
• Alabama: $94,070
• Arkansas: $92,110

So where does your state rank for health services management pay?

Refer to Health Services Managers Average Wages by State for more information.

The 22-23 U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals rated nearly 800 hospitals for their proficiency and effectiveness in delivering rehabilitation services to patients recovering from severe injuries or illnesses.  The study rated hospitals on various metrics related to the outcomes for their rehabilitation care patients, the scale of their rehabilitation services and programs, and the amount of professional recognition garnered by a hospital from within the rehabilitation care community.  Five hospitals in the U.S. Southwest rated among the top 50 U.S. hospitals for rehabilitation care in the 22-23 survey, including TIRR Memorial Hermann, which was rated the second-best rehabilitation hospital in the nation.  The Southwest's top rehabilitation hospitals, and where they ranked nationally for rehabilitation care in the 22-23 U.S. News survey, were:

The Southwest's Top Rehabilitation Hospitals

TIRR Memorial Hermann

Location:  Houston, TX
National Rank:  #2 (See ranking details)

Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation

Location:  Dallas, TX
National Rank:  #14 (See ranking details)

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Location:  Dallas, TX
National Rank:  #27 (See ranking details)

St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital
Location:  Austin, TX
National Rank:  #37 (See ranking details)

Barrow Neurological Institute

Location:  Phoenix, AZ
National Rank:  #40 (See ranking details)

For a deeper look at the metrics used to score rehabilitation hospitals in the 22-23 U.S. News survey, or to find the rehabilitation care rating of other Southwestern hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation.

Cancer accounted for 602,350 deaths in the United States in 2020. Relative to the size of the U.S. population, that translated to a cancer death rate of 182.8 deaths per 100,000 population, making cancer the second leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassed only by heart disease. Analysis of data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC, provides the following details about regional cancer death rates in the U.S.  Follow the "region" links in the table below to see state-level data within each region:

Regional Cancer Death Rates in the U.S.

Region	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Far West	89,869	56,579,620	158.8
Great Lakes	95,354	46,834,910	203.6
Great Plains	41,272	21,481,834	192.1
Mid-Eastern	90,410	48,757,828	185.4
New England	28,748	14,847,468	193.6
Rocky Mountain	17,883	12,547,416	142.5
Southeastern	171,979	85,565,785	201.0
Southwestern	66,835	42,869,262	155.9
U.S.	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

(*) number of cancer 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.

In 2020, there were just over 3,613,600 births in the United States.  The five-state Great Lakes region recorded 505,773 births in 2020, or about 14% of all births in the U.S. that year.  With 10.80 births per 1,000 population, the Great Lakes' regional birth rate was only 1.5% below the national average birth rate.  Further examination of state-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC, provides the following details about birth rates in the Great Lakes region:

Birth Rates in the Great Lakes Region

State	Births	Population	Birth Rate*
Illinois	133,298	12,587,530	10.59
Indiana	78,616	6,754,953	11.64
Michigan	104,074	9,966,555	10.44
Ohio	129,191	11,693,217	11.05
Wisconsin	60,594	5,832,655	10.39
Region	505,773	46,834,910	10.80
U.S.	3,613,647	329,484,123	10.97

(*) number of births per 1,000 population

Report Period: 2020

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Natality on CDC WONDER Online Database. Data are from the Natality Records 2016-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on July 27, 2022

There were 696,962 deaths in the United States in 2020 that were attributable to heart disease. Given the size of the U.S. population, that translated to a heart disease death rate of 211.5 deaths per 100,000 population. Analysis of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics provides the following details about regional heart disease death rates in the U.S.  Follow the "region" links in the table below to see state-level data within each region:

Regional Heart Disease Death Rates in the U.S.

Region	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Far West	96,816	56,579,620	171.1
Great Lakes	112,944	46,834,910	241.2
Great Plains	45,060	21,481,834	209.8
Mid-Eastern	117,371	48,757,828	240.7
New England	28,580	14,847,468	192.5
Rocky Mountain	19,063	12,547,416	151.9
Southeastern	196,674	85,565,785	229.9
Southwestern	80,454	42,869,262	187.7
U.S.	696,962	329,484,123	211.5

(*) number of heart disease 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.

The Best and Worst States for Dental Hygienist Pay

There were approximately 207,000 dental hygienists working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports.  Most dental hygienists work in dental offices, but small numbers may be found working with employment agencies, in physician offices, and in outpatient care centers. Like many other trained healthcare professionals with advanced technical skills, dental hygienists earn salaries and wages in excess of that earned by workers in most other occupations. Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for dental hygienists was $81,360 annually.  Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with dental hygienists in some states making more than twice what their counterparts made elsewhere.  As of May 2021, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary and wages for dental hygienists were:

Alaska	$115,510
California	$108,200
Washington	$106,200
Oregon	$94,420
Nevada	$89,460
Maryland	$89,340
Connecticut	$88,610
New Jersey	$87,070
Massachusetts	$87,030
Colorado	$86,890

At the other end of the spectrum, here were the bottom ten states for dental hygienist pay:

Pennsylvania	$71,710
Maine	$71,640
North Dakota	$69,440
Tennessee	$68,770
Michigan	$66,720
South Carolina	$65,440
Kentucky	$61,500
West Virginia	$61,050
Mississippi	$57,670
Alabama	$51,130

So where does your state rank for dental hygienists pay?

Check out Dental Hygienist Average Wages by State for more information.

The Best and Worst States for General Dentist Pay

There were approximately 110,000 general dentists working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports.  Most general dentists work in dental offices, but smaller numbers work in physician offices, outpatient care centers, hospitals, and with state government entities. Like many other trained healthcare professionals with advanced technical skills, general dentists earn salaries and wages in excess of that earned by workers in most other occupations. Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for general dentists was $167,160 annually.  Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with general dentists in some states making almost double what their counterparts earn elsewhere. As of May 2021, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary and wages for general dentists were:

Delaware	$233,860
New Hampshire	$225,140
Oregon	$207,370
Rhode Island	$206,600
Connecticut	$197,910
Vermont	$190,030
North Carolina	$189,980
New Mexico	$189,430
Kansas	$188,240
Maine	$187,460

At the other end of the spectrum, here were the bottom ten states for general dentist pay:

Wyoming	$148,730
Louisiana	$148,060
Nebraska	$146,170
Colorado	$139,460
West Virginia	$139,200
Illinois	$136,930
Kentucky	$136,480
Utah	$134,570
South Carolina	$132,830
Idaho	$124,750

So where does your state rank for General Dentist pay?

Check out General Dentist Average Wages by State for more information.

In the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings of American hospitals, 90 hospitals earned national recognition in at least one of ten pediatric specialties studied in the survey.  Although only three Rocky Mountain region hospitals earned top 50 distinction in at least one pediatric specialty, one of those three hospitals ranked among the top 10 children's hospitals in the nation.  Moreover, a second Rocky Mountain region hospital earned top 50 national recognition in eight pediatric specialties. For earning national recognition in more than five pediatric specialty areas, here's a summary look at the two hospitals that stand out as the best pediatric hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region:

Best Pediatric Hospitals in the Rocky Mountain Region

Children's Hospital Colorado
Location:  Aurora, CO
Top 10 National Ranking Overall?  YES (#7)
Top 50 Pediatric Specialty Rankings:  10 of 10
#8      Cancer
#14    Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#4      Diabetes & Endocrinology
#4      Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#19    Neonatology
#22    Nephrology
#12    Neurology & Neurosurgery
#12    Orthopedics
#6      Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#7      Urology
see ranking details

Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Top 10 National Ranking Overall?  NO
Top 50 Pediatric Specialty Rankings:  8 of 10
#39    Cancer
#38    Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#47    Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#43    Neonatology
#40    Nephrology
#17    Neurology & Neurosurgery
#31    Orthopedics
#50    Urology
see ranking details

To find children's hospitals in other regions of the country, visit our U.S. Children's Hospitals resource page.

The six-state Far Western U.S. region cancer accounted for 89,869 deaths in 2020, a death toll that represented about 14.9% of the 602,350 cancer deaths that year in the United States as a whole.  At 158.8 deaths per 100,000 population, the 2020 cancer death rate in the Far Western U.S. was more than 13% lower than the national average.  In fact, every state in the region, except for Oregon, recorded a cancer death rate that was lower than the national average in 2020.  A closer review of state-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics provides the following details about cancer death rates in the Far Western U.S.:

Cancer Death Rates in the Far Western U.S.

State	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Alaska	1,043	731,158	142.7
California	59,778	39,368,078	151.8
Hawaii	2,519	1,407,006	179.0
Nevada	5,450	3,138,259	173.7
Oregon	8,283	4,241,507	195.3
Washington	12,796	7,693,612	166.3
Region	89,869	56,579,620	158.8
U.S.	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

(*) number of cancer 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 July 23, 2022

Best and Worst States for Dental Assistant Pay

There were just over 347,000 dental assistants working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  The vast majority of dental assistants work in dental offices, but small numbers may be found working with employment agencies, in physician offices, and in outpatient care centers. While dental assistants must possess some technical understanding, their duties are generally administrative in nature and do not require the kind of advanced skills or training required in many other healthcare occupations. Dental assistants, on average, earn lower salaries than workers in most other occupations. As of May 2021, the BLS estimated that the national mean wage for dental assistants was $42,510 per year.  Pay for the profession varies considerably from state to state, with dental assistants in some states making 50% more than what their professional peers made elsewhere.  As of May 2021, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary for dental assistants were:

Minnesota	$53,080
Massachusett	$51,210
Alaska	$50,640
New Hampshire	$49,470
Oregon	$48,780
North Dakota	$47,780
Washington	$46,350
Connecticut	$46,130
Rhode Island	$46,070
California	$46,060

At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom ten states for dental assistant pay were:

Nevada	$38,020
Hawaii	$37,860
New Mexico	$37,790
West Virginia	$36,830
Idaho	$36,250
Mississippi	$36,170
Alabama	$35,760
Utah	$35,210
Arkansas	$34,930
Louisiana	$33,560

So where does your state rank for dental assistant pay?

Check out Dental Assistant Average Wages by State for more information.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 23, 2022

Optometrist Employment Snapshot for the Top 25 U.S. Metro Areas

Optometrist Employment Snapshot: Top 25 U.S. Metro Areas

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	New York-Newark-Jersey City		1,530	$140,520
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		2,820	$126,010
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		1,390	$111,740
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		780	$132,390
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		840	$114,340
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		820	$140,020
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		700	$156,650
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		850	$98,900
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		520	$131,440
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		550	$135,620
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		760	$119,550
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		1,100	$135,310
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		510	$134,100
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		470	$124,540
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		360	$124,460
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		340	$137,830
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		520	$118,490
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		250	$108,360
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		380	$133,340
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		290	$125,920
21	St. Louis, MO-IL		480	$157,230
22	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford		250	$94,610
23	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia		240	$135,170
24	San Antonio-New Braunfels		360	$150,890
25	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro		290	$134,570
	National		38,720	$125,440

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 25 U.S. Metro areas from 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on July 23, 2022

Medical Transcriptionist Employment Snapshot for the Top 25 U.S. Metro Areas

Medical Transcriptionist Employment Snapshot: Top 25 U.S. Metro Areas

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	New York-Newark-Jersey City		2,820	$36,130
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		n/a	n/a
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		1,680	$30,380
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		1,730	$31,270
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		860	$32,140
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		330	$41,600
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		830	$38,180
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		860	$35,020
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		1,080	$28,200
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		330	$42,590
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		1,050	$32,220
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		n/a	$48,350
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		n/a	n/a
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		710	$34,040
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		350	$46,070
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		340	$46,000
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		640	$36,480
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		920	$33,410
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		310	$39,420
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		150	$42,650
21	St. Louis, MO-IL		310	$35,050
22	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford		1,620	$28,130
23	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia		260	$28,880
24	San Antonio-New Braunfels		760	$25,710
25	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro		770	$38,290
	National		55,830	$34,220

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 25 U.S. Metro areas from 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on July 20, 2022