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

New England's Top Rehabilitation Hospital

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

New England's Top 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.

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Birth Rates in the Great Plains Region

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

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

Friday, 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 Southwest's Top Rehabilitation Hospitals

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

The Southwest's Top Rehabilitation Hospitals

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


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

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

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.

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.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Birth Rates in the Great Lakes Region

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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