Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Our Trusted Link for August 2022

 

Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis is Missouri's largest hospital and ranked #1 in the state by U.S. News. It was created in 1996, when two nearby hospitals merged. Jewish Hospital, a community hospital, was founded in 1902. Barnes Hospital, created by a bequest from businessman Robert Barnes, opened in 1914 as a teaching hospital for Washington University. 

Barnes-Jewish is ranked No. 11 on U.S. News' 2022-23 Best Hospitals Honor Roll. It is also nationally ranked in 11 adult specialties, including

  • #3 for Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • #8 for Diabetes & Endocrinology
  • #10 for Cancer. 

It is affiliated with Washington U. Medical School, which is tied for 11th place in U.S. News ranking for medical school research. The School of Medicine is also tied for #4 in Radiology and #7 in Anesthesiology. It's famous for its Macllinckrodt Institute of Radiology, which spearheaded the development of PET technology

In addition to its Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital provides nationally recognized care for

  • Stroke
  • Epilepsy
  • Lung volume reduction surgery
  • Bariatric surgery

Medical Milestones

1925 - Dr. Evarts Graham co-developed the first procedure for imaging the gallbladder.

1933 - Researchers at Barnes Hospital and Washington University discovered that a virus carried by the Culex mosquito causes encephalitis. 

1947 - Drs. Carl and Gerty Cori (married medical researchers) won the Nobel Prize for research on the catalytic conversion of glycogen. Among the people they trained, six of them won a Nobel Prize. 

1950 - First large-scale research on the carcinogenic effects of cigarettes published by Dr. Evarts Graham and Dr. Ernst Wynder. 

1980 - Early PET scanner used to determine extent of a patient's heart damage. 

1993 - Washington U. physicians developed lung volume reduction surgery as a treatment for emphysema. 

2003 - Dr. Randal Paniello performed the 1st U.S. reconstruction of a patient's voice box using muscle from her arm. 

Publications and Social Media

Show Me the Science podcast

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Gun Death Rates in the Rocky Mountain Region

In 2020, gun-related incidents, including homicides, suicides, accidents, and other firearm-related incidents, accounted for over 45,200 deaths in the United States, an increase of nearly 13.9% from 2019 levels. At 13.7 deaths per 100,000 population, the U.S. gun death rate was up from 12.1 deaths per 100,000 population the prior year.  The five-state Rocky Mountain region recorded 2,064 gun-related deaths in 2020.  With 16.4 gun-related deaths per 100,000 population in 2020, the region's gun death rate was 19.7% higher than the national average.  Utah was the only state in the region where the gun death rate in 2020 was below the national average.  A closer examination of 2020 data from the National Center for Health Statistics reveals the following about gun death rates in the Rocky Mountain region.:

Gun Death Rates in the Rocky Mountain Region

Gun Death Rates in the Rocky Mountain Region


State Deaths Population Death Rate*
Colorado 922 5,807,719 15.9
Idaho 321 1,826,913 17.6
Montana 238 1,080,577 22.0
Utah 429 3,249,879 13.2
Wyoming 154 582,328 26.4
     Region 2,064 12,547,416 16.4
U.S. Totals 45,222 329,484,123 13.7

(*) number of gun 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 August 29, 2022

Monday, August 29, 2022

Chiropractor Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

There were just over 35,800 chiropractors working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While sometimes found working in physician offices, outpatient care centers and hospitals, more than 90% of chiropractors work in offices of non-physician healthcare practitioners.  With advanced training and technical skills, the average chiropractor earns more than workers in most occupations.  As of May 2021, 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 wages of most workers, there is a very wide disparity from region-to-region in chiropractors' annual mean wages.  A closer review of May 2021 BLS data shows the following about chiropractor pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas:

Chiropractor Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 1,210 $113,420
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 1,030 $83,110
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 1,480 $76,120
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 900 $87,190
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land n/a $91,830
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 520 $103,820
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 650 $78,500
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 790 $80,730
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 1,190 $54,310
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 550 $102,340
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 800 $74,200
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley n/a $95,380
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario n/a $62,610
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 560 $81,090
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 570 $98,640
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 860 $89,650
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 380 $83,980
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 630 $71,150
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 450 $88,450
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 300 $73,670
National 35,810 $81,240

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 29, 2022

Health Services Management Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas

There were just under 436,800 health service management jobs in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Health services managers, ranging from front line supervisors to chief executives, are integral to maximizing the operational effectiveness of a wide variety of healthcare businesses, including hospitals, outpatient care centers, skilled nursing facilities, physicians' offices, and home health care service providers. Because of this key 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.  Further examination of BLS data indicated that, as of May 2021, in the United States health services management pay in the top 20 metro areas was as follows:

Health Services Management Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 28,240 $156,370
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 16,770 $122,960
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 11,300 $130,450
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 10,610 $126,500
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 8,890 $120,300
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 9,410 $140,860
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 7,840 $127,840
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 9,220 $110,140
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta n/a $118,790
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 13,570 $146,490
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 6,140 $118,390
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 7,970 $150,250
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 4,410 $117,970
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 5,650 $112,370
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 3,250 $147,610
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 5,580 $113,590
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 4,350 $126,220
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 5,140 $110,170
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 3,600 $133,560
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 4,500 $134,530
National 436,770 $119,840

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 29, 2022

Sunday, August 28, 2022

The Best and Worst States for Healthcare Social Worker Pay

There were approximately 173,900 healthcare social workers at work in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Healthcare social workers are found in varied healthcare settings, including with hospitals, individual family services providers, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient care centers. Healthcare social work professionals generally earn slightly higher salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for healthcare social workers was $62,310 per year.  Although healthcare social workers realize modestly better than average pay in comparison to most workers, there is considerable variation from state-to-state in how much healthcare social workers earn.  Per BLS data, as of May 2021 these were the ten best and worst states for healthcare social worker pay:

The Best and Worst States for Healthcare Social Worker Pay

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
DC 370 $87,000 1st
CA 13,050 $84,690 2nd
OR 1,830 $79,870 3rd
HI 690 $73,960 4th
RI 620 $73,230 5th
CT 1,800 $72,010 6th
WA 4,040 $71,800 7th
NJ 2,640 $71,310 8th
NH 530 $68,240 9th
UT 1,270 $67,880 10th
U.S. 173,860 $62,310 -------
LA 1,680 $55,060 42nd
WV 860 $54,830 43rd
MS 1,250 $54,810 44th
GA 4,570 $54,710 45th
NE 850 $53,840 46th
TN 7,440 $52,920 47th
OK 2,280 $52,820 48th
MO 5,010 $51,340 49th
AL 2,360 $50,450 50th
SD 550 $47,260 51st

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 27, 2022

Saturday, August 27, 2022

The Best and Worst States for Nurse Practitioner Pay

There were approximately 234,700 nurse practitioners (NPs) working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  NPs work in varied healthcare settings, including physician offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, educational institutions and the offices on other types of healthcare practitioners. Like many other healthcare professionals with advanced training and skills, nurse practitioners usually earn higher salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for NPs was $118,040 per year.  While nurse practitioners realize better than average pay, there is considerable variation from state-to-state in how much NPs earn.  Per BLS data, as of May 2021 these were the ten best and worst states for nurse practitioner pay:

The Best and Worst States for Nurse Practitioner Pay

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
CA 17,400 $151,830 1st
NJ 6,690 $137,010 2nd
NY 15,190 $133,940 3rd
WA 3,730 $130,840 4th
MA 7,330 $129,540 5th
OR 2,090 $128,190 6th
HI 460 $127,490 7th
MN 4,490 $127,010 8th
RI 1,030 $126,760 9th
DC 680 $125,290 10th
U.S. 234,690 $118,040 -------
KS 2,630 $108,710 42nd
AR 2,590 $107,080 43rd
KY 4,550 $106,080 44th
ID 1,020 $105,290 45th
FL 14,880 $104,830 46th
WV 1,780 $104,750 47th
MO 6,940 $103,490 48th
SC 3,140 $102,850 49th
AL 4,300 $102,410 50th
TN 11,360 $95,120 51st

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 27, 2022

Friday, August 26, 2022

States with Higher Homicide Rates than New York City

In 2020, there were more than 24,576 homicide deaths recorded in the United States according to data compiled by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The five counties that comprise New York City (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond) recorded 462 homicide deaths that year per NCHS data. With an area wide population of 8.25 million people, the homicide death rate for New York City was 5.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2020. While popularly perceived as having a high murder rate, New York City's homicide rate in 2020 was in reality 25% lower than the national average homicide rate of 7.5 deaths per 100,000 population. Moreover, NCHS data reveals that in 2020 there were 32 states with higher homicide rates than New York City.

States with Higher Homicide Rates than New York City

State Deaths Population Death Rate*
Mississippi 576 2,966,786 19.4
Louisiana 873 4,645,318 18.8
Alabama 654 4,921,532 13.3
Missouri 803 6,151,548 13.1
Arkansas 371 3,030,522 12.2
South Carolina 622 5,218,040 11.9
Tennessee 753 6,886,834 10.9
Illinois 1,353 12,587,530 10.7
Maryland 649 6,055,802 10.7
New Mexico 216 2,106,319 10.3
Georgia 1,093 10,710,017 10.2
Indiana 620 6,754,953 9.2
Kentucky 404 4,477,251 9.0
Delaware 86 986,809 8.7
Ohio 1,004 11,693,217 8.6
Oklahoma 342 3,980,783 8.6
North Carolina 884 10,600,823 8.3
Michigan 811 9,966,555 8.1
Pennsylvania 994 12,783,254 7.8
Alaska 55 731,158 7.5
Texas 2,212 29,360,759 7.5
Arizona 525 7,421,401 7.1
Florida 1,530 21,733,312 7.0
Nevada 217 3,138,259 6.9
Kansas 195 2,913,805 6.7
West Virginia 114 1,784,787 6.4
Virginia 531 8,590,563 6.2
California 2,368 39,368,078 6.0
Montana 65 1,080,577 6.0
South Dakota 52 892,717 5.8
Colorado 336 5,807,719 5.8
Wisconsin 334 5,832,655 5.7
    Sub-total 21,642 255,179,683 8.5
U.S. Total 24,576 329,484,123 7.5
New York City Counties
Bronx County 128 1,401,142 9.1
Kings County 169 2,538,934 6.7
New York County 63 1,611,989 3.9
Queens County 82 2,225,821 3.7
Richmond County 20 475,327 4.2
    NYC Sub-total 462 8,253,213 5.6

(*) 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 August 24, 2022

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

The Best and Worst States for Radiologic Tech Pay

There were just over 216,000 radiologic techs (technologists and technicians) working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  This occupation includes practitioners who take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials for diagnostic or research purposes. It does not, however, include diagnostic medical sonographers or MRI technologists. Radiologic techs work mainly in hospitals and physician offices, but smaller numbers are also found working in outpatient care centers and medical diagnostic laboratories. Radiologic techs typically earn better salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  According to BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for radiologic techs was $66,490 per year.  Radiologic tech pay varies significantly from state to state according to the BLS data.  In the best states for radiologic tech pay, practitioners can earn more than $75,000 per year while their peers in other parts of the country make less than $55,000 annually. Per BLS data as of May 2021, the ten best and worst states for radiologic tech pay were:

The Best and Worst States for Radiologic Tech Pay

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
CA 18,290 $95,170 1st
HI 550 $84,100 2nd
MA 5,400 $79,360 3rd
DC 480 $79,320 4th
OR 2,200 $78,800 5th
AK 450 $77,690 6th
RI 820 $77,680 7th
WA 3,210 $77,380 8th
NY 15,180 $77,140 9th
CT 2,450 $74,780 10th
U.S. 216,380 $66,490 -------
SC 3,770 $57,450 42nd
KY 3,800 $57,000 43rd
SD 990 $56,170 44th
WV 1,900 $55,060 45th
IA 2,920 $55,050 46th
TN 4,830 $55,040 47th
LA 3,500 $54,350 48th
AR 2,300 $53,130 49th
AL 3,800 $50,020 50th
MS 2,420 $49,880 51st

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 22, 2022

Monday, August 22, 2022

The Best and Worst States for Clinical Lab Tech Pay

There were about 319,000 clinical lab techs (technologists and technicians) working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published reports.  Clinical lab techs work mainly in hospitals and medical diagnostic laboratories, but smaller numbers are also found working in physician offices, in professional education institutions and with ambulatory health service providers. According to BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for clinical lab techs was $56,910 per year.  Clinical lab tech pay varies widely by state according to the BLS data, from less than $50,000 annually in some states to over $70,000 per year in others.  As of May 2021, these were the ten best and worst states for clinical lab tech pay:

The Best and Worst States for Clinical Lab Tech Pay

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
NY 17,030 $72,500 1st
RI 900 $70,580 2nd
CT 3,210 $70,220 3rd
OR 2,980 $69,330 4th
CA 25,910 $68,450 5th
NH 600 $66,930 6th
DC 1,100 $65,950 7th
NJ 7,640 $65,860 8th
WA 6,160 $64,100 9th
DE 510 $63,170 10th
U.S. 318,780 $56,910 -------
SD 1,270 $50,790 42nd
UT 5,530 $50,540 43rd
MO 8,530 $50,260 44th
IN 6,630 $49,720 45th
OK 4,290 $48,480 46th
NM 1,700 $48,200 47th
ID 1,780 $48,120 48th
AL 6,170 $46,170 49th
AR 2,530 $45,720 50th
MS 3,250 $45,430 51st

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 20, 2022