The 25-26 U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals graded more than 1,000 hospitals for their capabilities to provide 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 25-26 U.S. News survey.  That said, Spaulding is one of the preeminent rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, grading out in the survey as the 2nd best hospital in the country for rehabilitation care:

New England's Top Rehabilitation Hospital

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Location:  Boston, MA
National Rank:  #2 (See ranking details)

For a closer look at the metrics used to score rehabilitation hospitals in the 25-26 U.S. News survey, or to find the rehabilitation care rating of other New England hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most recent occupational employment data reported over 40,000 optometrists at work in the U.S. as of May 2024. At that time, 920 optometrists were at work in the five-state Rocky Mountain region. BLS data shows the region to be a weak one for optometrist pay, with only one state in the region recording an annual mean wage level for optometrists that topped the national average. Moreover, three Rocky Mountain states rated in the bottom third of all states in the nation for that pay metric, including two that ranked among the ten worst in the nation for optometrist annual mean wage levels. Colorado’s 2024 optometrist employment and wage data were not available due to an issue in BLS reporting. A deeper examination of BLS data from May 2024 details the following about optometrist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Optometrist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	N/A	N/A	N/A
ID	270	$88,350	49th
MT	150	$114,630	47th
UT	90	$120,880	45th
WY	410	$140,770	21st
U.S.	40,900	$137,190	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 2, 2026