Sunday, July 31, 2022

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

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

Social Media

Deland Fellowship fostering healthcare leaders

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Regional Cancer Death Rates in the U.S.

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.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Regional Heart Disease Death Rates in the U.S.

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.

Monday, July 25, 2022

Best Pediatric Hospitals in the Rocky Mountain Region

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

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.

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Cancer Death Rates in the Far Western U.S.

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.

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

Saturday, 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

Friday, July 22, 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

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Best Pediatric Hospitals in the Great Lakes Region

In the newest U.S. News & World Report rankings of American hospitals, 90 hospitals surveyed received national distinction in at least one of the ten pediatric specialties examined in the survey.  Two children's hospitals in the Great Lakes region ranked among the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the nation, while a total of fifteen pediatric hospitals in the region earned a top 50 ranking nationally in at least one of the ten specialties analyzed.  Among these Great Lakes region hospitals, nine earned top 50 national recognition in at least five pediatric specialties. For earning distinction nationally in at least five specialty areas, here's a summary look at the nine hospitals that stand out among the best pediatric hospitals in the Great Lakes region:

Best Pediatric Hospitals in the Great Lakes Region

Best Pediatric Hospitals in the Great Lakes Region

Cincinnati Children's Hospital (#3 overall nationally)
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#3   Cancer
#16 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#3   Diabetes & Endocrinology
#1   Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#6   Nephrology
#7   Neonatology
#6   Neurology & Neurosurgery
#5   Orthopedics
#2   Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#4   Urology
see ranking details

Nationwide Children's Hospital (#9 overall nationally)
Location: Columbus, OH
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#11 Cancer
#15 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#19 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#8   Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#10 Nephrology
#10 Neonatology
#9   Neurology & Neurosurgery
#15 Orthopedics
#10 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#13 Urology
see ranking details

Location: Indianapolis, IN
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#24 Cancer
#6   Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#34 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#17 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#13 Nephrology
#15 Neonatology
#47 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#48 Orthopedics
#7   Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#3   Urology
see ranking details

Location: Chicago
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 9 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#10 Cancer
#9   Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#17 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#31 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#14 Nephrology
#10 Neonatology
#27 Orthopedics
#19 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#6   Urology
see ranking details

Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital
Location: Cleveland
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 9 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#15 Cancer
#6   Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#36 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#13 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#29 Nephrology
#10 Neonatology
#40 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#30 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#24 Urology
see ranking details

Location: Cleveland
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 9 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#25 Cancer
#45 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#15 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#37 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#36 Nephrology
#10 Neonatology
#17 Orthopedics
#17 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#39 Urology
see ranking details

Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 9 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#12 Cancer
#10 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#22 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#24 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#20 Nephrology
#49 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#34 Orthopedics
#26 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#24 Urology

Location: Milwaukee, WI
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 8 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#21 Cancer
#31 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#45 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#18 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#43 Nephrology
#35 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#28 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#36 Urology

Location: Detroit, MI
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 6 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#41 Cancer
#26 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#39 Nephrology
#26 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#36 Orthopedics
#42 Urology

To find other children's hospitals in the Great Lakes states and elsewhere, visit our U.S. Children's Hospitals resource page.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Heart Disease Death Rates in the Southeastern U.S.

In 2020, the United States recorded 696,962 deaths that were attributable to heart disease, about 5.8% more such deaths than in the prior year.  Heart disease accounted for nearly 196,700 deaths in the twelve-state Southeastern U.S. in 2020.  With 229.9 deaths per 100,000 population, the Southeastern U.S. had a regional heart disease death rate that was 8.7% above the national average in 2020.  However, there was much disparity in the death rate from state to state, as half the states in the region had a heart disease rate in 2020 that was more than 20% higher than the national average.  A deeper examination of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics provides the following state-level details about heart disease death rates in the Southeastern U.S.:

Heart Disease Death Rates in the Southeastern U.S.

Heart Disease Death Rates in the Southeastern U.S.

State Deaths Population Death Rate*
Alabama 14,739 4,921,532 299.5
Arkansas 8,621 3,030,522 284.5
Florida 49,287 21,733,312 226.8
Georgia 21,116 10,710,017 197.2
Kentucky 11,345 4,477,251 253.4
Louisiana 12,255 4,645,318 263.8
Mississippi 8,809 2,966,786 296.9
North Carolina 20,373 10,600,823 192.2
South Carolina 11,385 5,218,040 218.2
Tennessee 17,943 6,886,834 260.5
Virginia 15,678 8,590,563 182.5
West Virginia 5,123 1,784,787 287.0
     Region 196,674 85,565,785 229.9
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. Accessed on July 16, 2022

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

MRI Technologist Employment Snapshot for the Top 25 U.S. Metro Areas

MRI Technologist Employment Snapshot: Top 25 U.S. Metro Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 2,210 $93,150
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 910 $102,620
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 1,870 $80,350
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 790 $83,450
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 840 $80,090
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 890 $86,820
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 840 $77,550
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 910 $71,710
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 900 $75,680
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 1,170 $87,860
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 530 $82,300
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 330 $127,930
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 210 $94,440
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 700 $70,060
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 310 $105,040
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 500 $82,230
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 210 $108,540
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 580 $68,780
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 310 $85,650
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 500 $80,010
21 St. Louis, MO-IL 480 $71,010
22 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford 300 $68,290
23 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 240 $74,680
24 San Antonio-New Braunfels 210 $76,110
25 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 270 $94,360
National 38,070 $77,820

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 16, 2022