In the most recent (23-24) U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals, just under 800 hospitals were appraised for their proficiency in providing adult heart care.  This analysis scored hospitals on assorted metrics related to the outcomes of their heart patients, the scope of their cardiology programs and services, and the level of recognition earned by these hospitals within the cardiology community.  In the 23-24 ratings, five Southeastern hospitals ranked among the 50 best U.S. hospitals for adult heart care.  Here's a quick look at these top-ranked heart hospitals in the Southeast and where they rated nationally for adult cardiology care and heart surgery in the 23-24 survey:

The Top-Ranked Heart Hospitals in the Southeast

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Location:  Nashville, TN

National Ranking:  #21 (See ranking details)

Duke University Hospital

Location:  Durham, NC

National Ranking: #28 (See ranking details)

Mayo Clinic Jacksonville

Location:  Jacksonville, FL

National Ranking: #29 (See ranking details)

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Location:  Birmingham, AL

National Ranking: #39 (See ranking details)

Orlando Regional Medical Center

Location:  Orlando, FL

National Ranking:  #49 (See ranking details)

For a deeper dive into the scoring metrics for adult cardiology and heart surgery hospitals in the 23-24 U.S. News survey, or to find the heart-care ratings of other Southeastern hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Adult Cardiology Care and Heart Surgery

The most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on physical therapist (PT) employment put the number of employed PTs in the U.S. at more than 229,700 as of May 2022.  The Mid-Eastern U.S. region, which encompasses five states and the District of Columbia, accounted for over 40,000 of those physical therapist jobs according to BLS data.  The Mid-Eastern U.S. was a relatively good one for physical therapist pay, with three states in the region ranked among the twelve best states in the nation for physical therapist annual mean wages.  Those three states were home to about 86% of the region's employed PTs.  A deeper examination of BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about physical therapist pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Physical Therapist Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	670	$96,760	15th
DE	980	$96,460	18th
MD	4,000	$96,250	19th
NJ	7,420	$105,430	3rd
NY	15,300	$103,580	6th
PA	11,670	$97,490	12th
U.S.	229,740	$97,960	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on March 24, 2024

May 2022 data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) detailed that there were over 325,400 pharmacists employed in the United States.  Nearly 37,000 of those employed as pharmacists in the U.S. worked in the four-state Southwestern region.  The U.S. Southwest was a moderately weak one in terms of pharmacist pay.  Arizona and Texas pharmacists, which accounted for about 85% of employed pharmacists in the region, earned annual mean wages that were approximately on par with the national average for the profession.  However, New Mexico and Oklahoma were among the eleven lowest-ranked states for that pharmacist pay metric.  BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about pharmacist pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Pharmacist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	7,730	$127,870	20th
NM	1,820	$122,360	40th
OK	3,810	$121,350	43rd
TX	23,600	$130,280	15th
U.S.	325,480	$129,410	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on March 24, 2024

In the 23-24 U.S. News & World Report ratings of American hospitals, over 890 hospitals were surveyed for their proficiency in delivering cancer care to adult patients.  The study scored hospitals on various metrics related to their adult cancer patient outcomes, the scope of their adult cancer care services, and the level of professional recognition a hospital earned from the broader cancer care community.  Seven hospitals in the five-state Great Lakes region rated among the top 50 U.S. hospitals for adult cancer care in the 23-24 survey.  Here's a quick view of where these seven Great Lakes region hospitals rated nationally in the 23-24 U.S. News survey for cancer care:

The Great Lakes Region's Top Cancer Hospitals

Cleveland Clinic
Location:  Cleveland
National Rank:  #10 (See ranking details)

UChicago Cancer Center

Location:  Chicago

National Rank:  #16 (See ranking details)

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Location:  Chicago
National Rank:  #18 (See ranking details)

Rush University Medical Center
Location:  Chicago

National Rank:  #30 (See ranking details)

Ohio State University Cancer Center

Location:  Columbus, OH

National Rank:  #33 (See ranking details)

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Location:  Ann Arbor, MI 
National Rank:  #34 (See ranking details)

University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center

Location:  Cleveland

National Rank:  #39 (See ranking details)

For a closer look at the metrics used to score adult cancer care hospitals in the 23-24 U.S. News survey, or to find cancer care ratings for other Great Lakes region hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Adult Cancer Care.

The latest occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that more than 187,700 medical records specialists were employed in the United States as of May 2022. With 51,000 medical records specialists employed at that time, the twelve-state Southeast region accounted for over 27% of medical records specialist employment in the United States.  BLS data revealed the region to be the worst one nationally for medical records specialist pay.  Only two Southeastern states, South Carolina and Virginia, registered an annual mean wage level that was above the national average for the profession, while five states in the Southeast ranked among the ten states with the lowest annual mean wage levels for medical records specialists. From May 2022 BLS data, here is a closer view of medical records specialist pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Medical Records Specialist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	2,530	$40,250	50th
AR	1,760	$40,410	49th
FL	14,980	$47,320	33rd
GA	4,930	$47,200	34th
KY	4,210	$45,180	44th
LA	2,250	$47,870	30th
MS	2,020	$39,470	51st
NC	5,240	$46,890	36th
SC	2,780	$52,050	16th
TN	4,510	$48,890	25th
VA	4,550	$52,580	14th
WV	1,240	$42,470	48th
U.S.	187,720	$51,090	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on March 23, 2024

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently published May 2022 statistics that reported that over 182,000 healthcare social workers (HSWs) were employed in the United States at that time.  Nearly 15,700 of those HSW jobs were in the six-state New England region.  BLS data further revealed New England to be a relatively good one for healthcare social worker pay.  Only Maine had an annual mean wage for healthcare social workers that was below the national average, while three New England states ranked among the ten best states in the nation for healthcare social worker annual mean wages. May 2022 BLS data tells us the following about healthcare social worker pay in New England:

Healthcare Social Worker Pay in New England

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CT	1,930	$73,720	4th
MA	11,630	$65,440	12th
ME	470	$60,430	24th
NH	570	$71,200	8th
RI	620	$74,110	3rd
VT	440	$65,290	13th
U.S.	182,420	$62,760	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on March 23, 2024

In the 23-24 U.S. News & World Report study of American hospitals, nearly 900 hospitals were examined for their capabilities in providing adult cancer care.  In this study, hospitals were assessed on assorted metrics related to cancer care patient outcomes, the scope and breadth of their adult cancer care programs and services, and the level of recognition a hospital has received from the wider cancer care community.  Four Great Plains region hospitals made the list of the top 50 rated U.S. hospitals for adult cancer care in the 23-24 survey, including the Mayo Clinic, which ranked among the five highest-rated adult cancer care hospitals in the country.  Here's a summary look at these four Great Plains medical facilities and how they ranked nationally for adult cancer care:

The Great Plains Region's Top Cancer Hospitals

Mayo Clinic

Location:  Rochester, MN

National Rank:  #3 (See ranking details)

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Location:  St. Louis, MO

National Rank:  #23 (See ranking details)

M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center

Location:  Minneapolis, MN

National Rank:  #37 (See ranking details)

University of Kansas Hospital

Location:  Kansas City, KS

National Rank:  #47 (See ranking details)

For a closer look at the measures used to score adult cancer care hospitals in the 23-24 U.S. News survey, or to find cancer care ratings for other Great Plains region hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Adult Cancer Care.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data put the number of physical therapists (PTs) employed in the U.S. at more than 229,000 as of May 2022.  The five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for about 10,200 physical therapist jobs at that time according to the BLS data.  The Rocky Mountain region is a relatively poor one for physical therapist pay, with no states in the region having PT annual mean wage levels higher than the national average.  Moreover, two states in the region ranked among the ten worst states in the nation for physical therapists' annual mean wages.  A deeper look at BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about physical therapist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Physical Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	5,170	$96,170	20th
ID	1,270	$88,750	43rd
MT	1,190	$85,530	50th
UT	2,050	$91,570	36th
WY	540	$90,910	39th
U.S.	229,740	$97,960	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on March 23, 2024

The latest state-level occupational data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were more than 325,000 pharmacists employed in the United States as of May 2022.  About 49,000 of those employed as pharmacists in the U.S. lived in the six-state Far West region.  Generally speaking, the region is the strongest one in the nation for pharmacist pay.  The top four states in the nation for pharmacist annual mean wage levels were in the Far West U.S., and one other state in the region ranked in the top ten nationally.  BLS data from May 2022 details the following about pharmacist pay in the Far West region of the U.S.:

Pharmacist Pay in the Far West Region of the U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	520	$146,400	2nd
CA	34,100	$151,280	1st
HI	870	$136,600	6th
NV	2,760	$125,580	31st
OR	3,660	$141,440	3rd
WA	7,150	$138,580	4th
U.S.	325,480	$129,410	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on March 23, 2024