North Carolina Digital Collections

2005

              North Carolina Health Professions

2004 DATA BOOK

Effective: October 2004

An annual report prepared by:

The N. C. Health Professions Data System

Claire de la Varre, Research Associate

Katie Gaul, Research Associate

Erin P. Fraher, Director

Hazel L. Hadley, Applications Analyst Programmer

Jane D. Darter, Applications Analyst Programmer

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Campus Box # 7590, 725 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

Chapel Hill, NC 27599- 7590

nchp@ unc. edu

http:// www. shepscenter. unc. edu/ hp

( 919) 966- 7112

North Carolina Health Professions Data System

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Copyright © 2005 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables......................................................................................................................... ............. ii

Acknowledgments................................................................................................................ .................................. iii

Introduction................................................................................................................... ............................................ 1

Sources and Limitations of the Data ...................................................................................................................... 2

Source of Health Professions Data ............................................................................................................... 2

Definitions and Limitations.................................................................................................................... ...... 3

Population Data ............................................................................................................................... .............. 4

Demographic and Economic Data................................................................................................................ 4

Summary of Trends in North Carolina Health Professional Supply............................................................... 6

Changes in Supply......................................................................................................................... ............................... 7

Physicians ............................................................................................................................... ........................ 7

Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives and Physician Assistants............................................. 8

Licensed Practical and Registered Nurses................................................................................................... 9

Dentists and Dental Hygienists .................................................................................................................... 9

Pharmacists.................................................................................................................... ............................... 10

Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants ........................................................................... 10

Psychologists and Psychological Associates ............................................................................................. 10

Podiatrists, Optometrists and Chiropractors ............................................................................................ 11

Respiratory Therapists ............................................................................................................................... . 11

Changes in Practitioner to Population Ratios............................................................................................................. 11

Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratio ..................................................................................................... 12

Primary Care Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratio ............................................................................ 13

Dentists per 10,000 Population Ratio ......................................................................................................... 15

Registered Nurses per 10,000 Population Ratio ....................................................................................... 16

Pharmacists per 10,000 Population Ratio .................................................................................................. 17

Active Health Professionals per 10,000 Population Ratios for All Counties ........................................ 18

Inventory of Health Professions Including Selected Demographic, Economic and Health- Related

Statistics..................................................................................................................... ............................................... 21

County Totals in Alphabetic Order by County ........................................................................................ 22

State Totals......................................................................................................................... ......................... 122

Nonmetropolitan County Totals .............................................................................................................. 123

Metropolitan County Totals...................................................................................................................... 124

Area Health Education Centers ( AHEC) Regional Totals..................................................................... 125

Health Service Area ( HSA) Regional Totals............................................................................................ 134

Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources ( DEHNR) Regional Totals ............... 140

Perinatal Care Regional ( PCR) Totals ...................................................................................................... 147

Appendix I: Technical Notes on Methods ........................................................................................................ 153

Appendix II: Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................................... 154

Health Professions Related........................................................................................................................ 154

Demographics ............................................................................................................................... ............. 155

Location....................................................................................................................... ................................ 160

Appendix III: Procedures for Requesting Additional Information ............................................................. 164

Procedures for Requesting Additional Information .............................................................................. 164

Addresses of Health Professions Licensing Boards ............................................................................... 165

Data Listing for Each Profession............................................................................................................... 167

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L i s t o f F i g u r e s a n d T a b l e s

Figure 1: Yearly Increases in the Number of Licensed Physicians, 1980- 2004............................................................. 7

Table 1: Number of Residents- In- Training by Sponsor Location, 2004....................................................................... 2

Table 2: North Carolina Health Professions Statistics: 2003 and 2004 ...................................................................... 6

Table 3: Counties with the Largest Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003................................... 12

Table 4: Counties with the Smallest Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003................................. 13

Table 5: Physicians & Primary Care Physicians per 10,000 Population, US and Selected States, 2004 .................. 13

Table 6: Counties with the Largest Primary Care Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003............ 14

Table 7: Counties with the Smallest Primary Care Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003.......... 14

Table 8: Counties with the Largest Dentists per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003 ...................................... 15

Table 9: Counties with the Smallest Dentists per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003 .................................... 15

Table 10: Counties with the Largest RNs per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003........................................... 16

Table 11: Counties with the Smallest RNs per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003......................................... 16

Table 12: Counties with the Largest Pharmacists per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003 .............................. 17

Table 13: Counties with the Smallest Pharmacists per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003 ............................ 17

Table 14: Active Health Professionals per 10,000 Population Ratios, 2004............................................................... 18

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A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

Information included in this report has been made available by the following organizations:

• North Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners

• North Carolina Board of Nursing

• North Carolina Board of Pharmacy

• North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners

• North Carolina Board of Podiatry Examiners

• North Carolina Medical Board

• North Carolina Medical Society

• North Carolina Midwifery Joint Committee

• North Carolina Psychology Board

• North Carolina Respiratory Care Board

• North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners

• North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry

• American Medical Association

• Government and Business Services Branch, North Carolina State Library

• North Carolina Department of Commerce, Employment Security Commission

• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Facility Services

• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance

• North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics

• North Carolina State Data Center, Office of State Budget and Management

This report was developed by the N. C. Health Professions Data System, Cecil G. Sheps Center for

Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Funds for the publication of

this document were provided by the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers ( NC AHEC)

Program, UNC- CH School of Medicine, and the Office of the Provost ( Health Affairs), University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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I n t r o d u c t i o n

This is the twenty- seventh annual report prepared from data collected by the N. C. Health Professions

Data System ( HPDS), formerly the Health Manpower Component of the North Carolina Cooperative Health

Information System. The N. C. Health Professions Data System was developed to collect and disseminate

timely and reliable data on licensed health professionals in North Carolina. The System was initiated in 1975

with federal funding from the National Center for Health Statistics and was assisted in the early 1980s by a

grant from the Duke Endowment through the N. C. Hospital Association. Although selected data are available

beginning in 1976, continuous and equivalent data files have been maintained since 1979. For most

professions these data include name, mailing address, birth year, gender, race, information on basic

professional education, specialty of practice, activity status, form of employment, and practice setting.

Special analyses and reports from all data files may be requested ( see Appendix III).

This report draws on data from the HPDS and describes the supply and distribution in 2004 of

licensed individuals in seventeen health professions by county and selected regions. The HPDS is maintained

by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Support for the HPDS is provided by the N. C. Area Health Education Centers ( NC AHEC) Program and the

University of North Carolina Office of the Provost ( Health Affairs). This report would not be possible without

the cooperation of the independent health professions licensing boards that provide data to the Cecil G. Sheps

Center for Health Services Research.

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S o u r c e s a n d L i m i t a t i o n s o f t h e D a t a

Source of Health Professions Data

Health professions data for this report are provided annually by the regulatory boards for each of the

following professions: certified nurse midwives, chiropractors, dental hygienists, dentists, licensed practical

nurses, nurse practitioners, optometrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants,

physicians, physician assistants, podiatrists, practicing psychologists, psychological associates and registered

nurses. New to the system in 2004 are respiratory therapists. The Boards provide demographic, practice, and

location information on every professional licensed to practice in the state of North Carolina. This year, and

for the past twenty- six years, this annual report has been prepared using data files current up to October for

the respective year; this makes it possible for users to perform longitudinal analyses and to examine yearly

changes in health professionals over time.

Physician data are derived from the N. C. Medical Board’s licensure files. These data contain

physicians who are currently in postgraduate medical training programs but who have permanent licenses.

In an effort to accurately separate physicians in residency training from those that are not in residency

training, listings of physicians in postgraduate medical education programs as of July 2004 were obtained

from all North Carolina residency program institutions. These lists were compared with the N. C. Medical

Board’s licensing file. Physicians in residency training are not included in the number of counts by county in

this publication. All resident physicians enrolled in postgraduate medical education programs were

identified and are reported in Table 1.

Table 1: Number of Residents- In- Training by Sponsor Location, 2004

Residency Program County Residents Percent

Duke University Medical Center Durham 855 32.28

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill— UNC Hospitals Orange 648 24.47

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Forsyth 485 18.31

East Carolina University— Pitt County Memorial Hospital Pitt 283 10.69

Charlotte AHEC— Carolinas Medical Center Mecklenburg 186 7.08

Coastal AHEC— New Hanover Regional Medical Center New Hanover 61 2.16

Greensboro AHEC— Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital Guilford 44 1.66

Mountain AHEC— Mission Hospital Buncombe 46 1.63

Cabarrus Memorial Hospital Cabarrus 23 0.81

Southern Regional AHEC— Fayetteville Cumberland 17 0.60

State Totals 2,648 100.00

Source: Residency data are received annually from the respective residency programs and are based on

the institutions’ lists of house staff, residents and fellows as of July 2004.

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The N. C. Midwifery Joint Committee provided data on certified nurse midwives ( CNMs). Data

for nurse practitioners ( NPs) and physician assistants ( PAs) were obtained from the N. C. Medical Board.

Certified nurse midwives and nurse practitioners are included in the registered nurse ( RN) counts

because CNMs and NPs maintain their RN licensure with the N. C. Board of Nursing.

Definitions and Limitations

Because state law requires a license to practice for each of the professions profiled, the data

reported reflect an accurate enumeration of the supply and distribution of licensed practitioners.

However, because the actual activity status of a given professional may change over time ( i. e. the person

may retire, move out of the state but maintain a license, or maintain a license while working in another

profession), having a license does not always indicate that the individual is actively practicing. To adjust

for this, the data presented in this report include only those individuals who indicated on their license

registration renewal form that they were working in North Carolina and were actively engaged in the

profession. Active status may include administrators, researchers and educators who are active in the

profession but not engaged in direct patient care. Active status is assigned to individuals who are newly

licensed and have not reported their status. Those with unknown activity status often include newly

licensed professionals who at the time of licensure had not yet secured employment in their profession.

Those individuals who report a business address or hours but who do not report their status are also

assigned an active status1. Health care professionals are assigned to their self- designated primary

practice location county if they are active and to their mailing address county if they are active and their

primary practice location is unknown. For physicians, this is based on ZIP code information; for all other

professions, counties are identified by the professional on their licensure form. The nursing professions

( registered nurses, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and licensed practical nurses) and the

dental professions ( dentists and dental hygienists) are grouped together in the region and county pages.

Physicians are broken down separately. The remaining professions are listed in alphabetical order.

For the purpose of this report, doctors of medicine ( MDs) and doctors of osteopathy ( DOs), both

of whom register with the N. C. Medical Board, are grouped together. Physicians are classified by

specialty according to the self- reported primary specialty indicated on their Application for Registration

with the N. C. Medical Board. Physicians whose primary and/ or secondary specialty has changed since

2003 were checked against specialty data provided by the N. C. Medical Society. Physician data in this

report are classified by residency- training status in 2004 and federal or non- federal employment status.

The physician data reported in this publication are for non- resident licensed physicians who are not

currently participating in one of the postgraduate medical education programs listed in Table 1.

1 For physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, individuals who report that they are not actively

employed in physical therapy but are seeking employment in physical therapy are also considered active. These

are the only professions that have data available on whether individuals are seeking employment.

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Within the category of non- resident physicians are federal and non- federal physicians. Physicians

included in the federal category have reported that their principal employer is the federal government.

These individuals may have primary practice settings in a health facility in a military installation,

Department of Veterans Affairs, U. S. Public Health Service, Indian Health Service, or other federal health

facility. Because their practices are in community settings, all National Health Service Corps physicians

are included in the non- federal category, except for uniformed Public Health Service physicians who may

be in a Health Service Corps placement. The N. C. Medical Board supplied federal physician data

reported in this document. Federal physicians practicing in government facilities are not required to be

licensed by the N. C. Medical Board to practice medicine in North Carolina, so the numbers for federal

physicians reported in this publication may fall short of the actual numbers of federal physicians in the

state. Federal providers are not asked to specify their employment setting on the annual registration

renewal form; therefore, military providers cannot be subcategorized within the federal providers

category.

Beginning in 2003, physicians indicating non- federal status were checked against primary

practice setting. Physicians who indicated non- federal status but whose primary practice address was in a

military setting were reclassified as federal physicians.

The N. C. Board of Nursing requires biennial registration ( on the birth month) for the state’s

registered nurses ( RNs) and licensed practical nurses ( LPNs) with half of the state’s RNs and LPNs

registering with the Board each year. Therefore, the report includes data on the 50% of RNs and LPNs

who renewed their registration in 2004, and data for the remaining 50% who renewed their registration in

their birth month. Additionally, the N. C. Psychology Board requires biennial registration. Both the Board

of Nursing and the Psychology Board update their data in non- renewal years to reflect address changes

and deceased practitioners.

Population Data

The 2004 projected population data reported in this publication were downloaded from Log Into

North Carolina ( LINC), the State Data Center’s online data system ( http:// www. linc. state. nc. us)

administered through the Office of State Budget and Management. The 2004 population data are

projected numbers as the 2004 estimates were not available at the time of publication. The 2003

population figures are based on the April 1, 2000 Census. Ratios of health professionals reported are per

10,000 population.

Demographic and Economic Data

This publication includes additional health, vital statistics and socio- demographic data. The

majority of these data are available on- line via the websites of the specific source agencies or through

LINC. A list of the variable names, numbers, definitions, and the source of data by variable number can

be found in Appendix II: Definition of Terms. All county and substate regional level health professions data

provided in this publication will also be available online at http:// www. shepscenter. unc. edu/ hp.

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The infant mortality rates reported in the 2004 State Totals, Non- Metropolitan/ Metropolitan

counties, Area Health Education Centers, Health Service Areas, the Department of Environment, Health

and Natural Resources, and the Perinatal Care regions are computed as a one year rate. Prior to 2003 the

Data Book reported regional infant mortality based on a five year rate.

This publication reports the number of general hospital discharges in 2003 from acute care, short-stay

hospitals by county of patient residence. The year 2004 general hospital discharges were not

available at the time this report was compiled. The data exclude normal newborn discharges ( DRG 391).

These data are made available through the LINC Data Base.

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S u m m a r y o f T r e n d s i n N o r t h C a r o l i n a

H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n a l S u p p l y

The overall number of health professionals in North Carolina grew from November 2003 to

October 2004. Table 2 below summarizes the number of health professionals licensed in the past two

years and the percent change in those numbers between 2003 and 2004.

Table 2: North Carolina Health Professions Statistics: 2003 and 2004

Active in Profession ( October) 2

2003 2004 Percent Change

Physicians

Non- federal, not in training 17,090 17,349 1.5%

Primary Care Specialties 7,265 7,401 1.9%

Family Practice 2,347 2,376 1.2%

General Practice 151 142 - 6.0%

Internal Medicine 2,481 2,542 2.5%

Obstetrics/ Gynecology 960 981 2.2%

Pediatrics 1,326 1,360 2.6%

Other Specialties 9,825 9,927 1.0%

Federal3 473 510 7.8%

Residency Training 2,541 2,648 4.2%

Nurses

Registered Nurses 76,334 77,655 1.7%

Certified Nurse Midwives 196 195 - 0.5%

Nurse Practitioners4 2,122 2,256 6.3%

Licensed Practical Nurses 16,946 16,918 - 0.2%

Other Health Professionals

Chiropractors 1,160 1,205 3.9%

Optometrists 885 899 1.6%

Pharmacists 7,218 7,295 1.1%

Physician Assistants 2,390 2,498 4.5%

Physical Therapists 3,347 3,594 7.4%

Physical Therapy Assistants 1,671 1,761 5.4%

Podiatrists 234 249 6.4%

Practicing Psychologists 1,626 1,584 - 2.6%

Psychological Associates 927 899 - 3.0%

Respiratory Therapists N/ A 3,278 N/ A

Dentists and Dental Hygienists

Dentists 3,462 3,628 4.8%

Dental Hygienists 4,095 4,324 5.6%

2 Data are for in- state professionals; includes unknown activity status.

3 Includes federal physicians in the armed services, U. S. Public Health Service, Indian Health Service, and the

Department of Veterans Affairs. Federal physicians practicing in government facilities are not required to be licensed

in the state and therefore these data may underestimate actual supply.

4 Data on Nurse Practitioners are from the NC Medical Board.

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The majority of health professions saw moderate growth in 2004. The number of primary care

physicians increased 1.9% (+ 136) from 2003 to 2004. Internal medicine (+ 61, 2.5%) and family practice

(+ 29, 1.2%) physicians continued to expand but with less of an increase than in 2003. There were no

primary care specialties with less than 1% growth this year; both pediatricians (+ 34, 2.6%) and

obstetrician- gynecologists (+ 21, 2.2%) showed a greater increase than in 2003. There was another

decrease in the number of general practitioners from 151 to 142 (- 6.0%). The largest percentage

increases in other health professions were seen by physical therapists (+ 247, 7.4%), nurse practitioners

(+ 134, 6.3%), podiatrists (+ 15, 6.4%) and dental hygienists (+ 229, 5.6%). In 2004 there were moderate

increases in the supply of dentists (+ 166, 4.8%) and physician assistants (+ 108, 4.5%) and small

increases in registered nurses (+ 1,321, 1.7%), optometrists (+ 14, 1.6%) and pharmacists (+ 77, 1.1%).

Psychological associates (- 28, - 3.0%) continued on a downward trend for the fourth year in a row.

CHANGES IN SUPPLY

Physicians

Figure 1 depicts the annual growth, over the past 24 years, of the total number of active licensed

physicians practicing in North Carolina, excluding those in residency training or employed by the federal

government. The 1.5% (+ 259) growth of physicians licensed by the N. C. Medical Board between 2003 and

2004 is less than seen in the previous year, continuing the slowing trend in growth of physician supply.

This is the sixth consecutive year that the growth in physicians has been equal to, or less than, 2.9%.

Figure 1: Yearly Increases in the N umber of Licensed Physicians

1980- 2004

3.4%

5.7%

2.3%

5.5%

6.3% 6.5%

0.3%

4.0%

1.4%

5.9%

3.2%

9.2%

1.3%

0.6%

6.4%

4.2%

5.4%

2.2%

2.9% 2.9%

1.9%

1.5%

2.3%

5.3%

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%

9.0%

10.0%

80- 81

81- 82

82- 83

83- 84

84- 85

85- 86

86- 87

87- 88

88- 89

89- 90

90- 91

91- 92

92- 93

93- 94

94- 95

95- 96

96- 97

97- 98

98- 99

99- 00

00- 01

01- 02

02- 03

03- 04

Year Percent

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Prior to 1997, physician licensure renewal was a biennial process that, through 1994, was held in

even- numbered years. In 1995, a switch was made to odd- numbered years. However, in 1997, licensure

renewal became an annual process. Figure 1 shows a greater increase in non- renewal years, e. g., 95- 96, 92-

93, 90- 91, and 88- 89. This is because a non- renewal year reflects the migration of doctors into the state or

into active practice ( i. e., newly licensed physicians or those who notified the Board of their change in status)

but not the corresponding out- migration or inactivity because the license remains in effect throughout the

entire two- year period.

In 2004, every county in North Carolina had at least one physician reporting a primary practice

location; the fewest were found in the following counties: Tyrrell ( 1), Hyde ( 1), Camden ( 2) and

Perquimans ( 2). Forty- seven counties experienced an increase in the number of physicians; eighteen had no

change in supply, and thirty- five counties lost physicians. Counties with the largest percentage growth in

the supply of physicians between 2003 and 2004 include Washington (+ 2, 25.0%), Caswell (+ 2, 16.7%) and

Chatham (+ 6, 17.1%). Watauga’s increase (+ 15, 16.5%) was due in part to the Banner Elk ZIP code ( 28604)

being moved from Avery to Watauga. The largest reduction in numbers was in Orange County (- 21, 1.9%)

while the largest percentage decrease was in Hyde County (- 1, - 50.0%).

The supply of primary care physicians5 in North Carolina increased at a slightly greater rate ( 1.9%)

than the physician supply( 1.5%) in 2004. When compared with the growth rate for primary care

physicians in 2003 ( 2.0%) the growth rate in 2004 is slightly lower ( 1.9%). For the past six years the growth

of primary care physicians has slowed, from a rate of 5.2% (+ 332) in 1999. Forty- three counties increased the

numbers of primary care physicians, with Sampson (+ 8, 32.0%), Watauga (+ 10, 25.6%), Washington (+ 1,

20.0%), Mitchell (+ 3, 20.0%), and Caswell (+ 2, 20.0%) experiencing the largest percentage gains.

Mecklenburg (+ 31, 4.3%) and Forsyth (+ 20, 5.0%) counties gained the most primary care physicians. The

number of primary care physicians remained stable in twenty- four counties, and thirty- three counties had a

reduction in supply. The largest decrease was in Orange County (- 16, - 3.8%).

Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives and Physician Assistants

The 6.3% (+ 134) expansion in the nurse practitioner ( NP) numbers in 2004 completes a decade of

substantial annual growth. Perquimans regained a sole NP, for the first time since 1999. Five counties had

no nurse practitioners ( Alexander, Camden, Hyde, Jones and Martin) 6 with Hyde and Jones losing their

sole nurse practitioners and Alexander and Camden having had no NPs since 1998 and 1997 respectively.

Nine counties only had one NP ( Bertie, Clay, Gates, Graham, Lincoln, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Transylvania

and Washington) in 2004. In total, forty- three counties increased their supply of nurse practitioners, while

twenty- four lost providers and thirty- three experienced no change.

5 Primary care physicians are those who report their primary specialty as family practice, general practice, internal

medicine, pediatrics, or obstetrics/ gynecology.

6 Data are based on primary practice location; there may be NPs with secondary or other practice locations in these

counties.

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The state’s certified nurse midwives ( CNMs) data show a very slight - 0.5% (- 1) percentage

decrease in supply between 2003 and 2004. This is the first decrease in numbers since data started to be

collected in 1995. Granville, Iredell and Union counties experienced large percentage expansions in CNM

supply ( 150.0%, 50.0% and 100.0% respectively). Overall, eleven counties saw their CNM supply rise,

seventy- five experienced no change, and fourteen counties lost providers7. Duplin, Greene, Moore and

Wilson lost their sole CNM in 2004. However, two counties that previously had no CNMs ( Lincoln and

Sampson) gained one midwife and two midwives respectively. The net result was that fifty counties in

North Carolina had no CNMs in 2004, up from 47 in 2003.

This year’s 4.5% (+ 108) increase in physician assistants ( PAs) continues a pattern of growth but is

less of an increase than in recent years. In 2004, forty- three counties expanded their PA supply with

Chatham County doubling its numbers (+ 2). Yancey, having lost its 2 providers in 2003, regained one in

2004. Forty- one counties experienced no change in their PA supply, including five counties that had no PAs

in 2003 ( Avery, Camden, Currituck, Hyde and Mitchell). Sixteen counties decreased their PA supply.

Registered Nurses and Licensed PracticalNurses

The reader is reminded that prior to the year 2000, RN and LPN licensure renewals occurred in

December of each year. The registered nurses ( RN) data show a 1.7% (+ 1,321) rise in counts of RNs in the

state between 2003 and 2004. In 2004, fifty- eight counties expanded their RN supply. Three counties

( Currituck, Swain and Rockingham) had no change in their RN supply. RN numbers declined in thirty-nine

counties with the largest percentage decrease in Camden county (- 7, - 28.0%). The largest numeric loss

was in Richmond county (- 28, - 7.5%).

The supply of licensed practical nurses ( LPNs) decreased slightly by - 0.2% (- 28) between 2003 and

2004. Forty- five counties increased their numbers of LPNs, forty- eight counties lost LPNs and seven

counties stayed the same. The largest percentage losses were in Hyde (- 3, - 50.0%) and Pamlico (- 5, - 29.4%).

The largest reductions in number were in Cumberland (- 20, - 2.3%) and Forsyth (- 19, - 1.7%).

Dentists and Dental Hygienists

Between 2003 and 2004, North Carolina experienced a 4.8% (+ 167) increase in its supply of dentists.

Twelve counties showed reduced numbers of dentists between 2003 and 2004, thirty- seven counties had no

change in their supply of dentists, and fifty- one counties saw their supply of dentists rise. The counties of

Camden, Hyde, Jones and Tyrell have not had a dentist indicating a primary practice location since 1995.

Gates, Graham and Northampton each have only one dentist.

In 2004, there was a 5.6% (+ 229) rise in the number of dental hygienists registered with the Board

of Dental Examiners. Sixty counties showed growth in 2003 while nineteen counties decreased their supply

of hygienists. There were twenty- one counties with no change in their number of hygienists. In 2004, the

7 Data are based on primary practice location only; there may be CNMs with secondary or other practice locations in

these counties.

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largest percentage expansions were seen in Pamlico (+ 3, 150.0%), Perquimans (+ 1, 100.0%) and Washington

(+ 1, 100.0%). In 2004 the largest absolute gains occurred in Mecklenburg (+ 32, 6.8%) and Guilford (+ 18,

7.3%). Three counties had only one hygienist with a primary practice location ( Currituck, Jones,

Northampton) and four counties did not possess any ( Bertie, Gates, Hyde and Tyrrell) in 2004.

Pharmacists

The number of licensed pharmacists showed a slight increase ( 1.1%, + 77) from 2003 to 2004.

Between 2003 and 2004, the supply of pharmacists grew in forty- five counties. Wake experienced the largest

raw number increase (+ 28, 3.8%) in pharmacists while Alleghany had the largest positive percentage

change ( 66.7%) with the addition of two pharmacists. In 2004, Camden and Hyde were the only counties

without a pharmacist indicating a practice in those jurisdictions. Thirty- eight counties lost pharmacists; the

largest reduction in numbers occurred in Orange (- 15, - 6.5%) and Wilson (- 10, - 13.9%). Pamlico lost one of

its five pharmacists for the largest percentage decrease (- 20.0%), while seventeen counties had no change.

Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants

Between 2003 and 2004, the supply of licensed physical therapists ( PTs) grew 7.4% (+ 134) in

comparison to the previous year’s growth of 1.4% (+ 44). Forty- four counties expanded their supply of PTs,

thirty- two lost PTs, and twenty- four counties had no change in numbers. Northampton, which lost both of

its PTs in 2003, regained two providers in 2004. Gates lost its sole provider and Chowan lost its only two

providers in 2004, resulting in five counties having no PTs. The number of physical therapist assistants

( PTAs) increased 5.4% (+ 90) in 2004. Forty- six counties expanded their supply of PTAs, thirty lost PTAs,

and twenty- four counties had no change in numbers. Alexander (+ 1, + 100.0%), Caswell (+ 3, + 300.0%),

Currituck (+ 1, + 100.0%), Jones (+ 1, + 100.0%), Dare (+ 3, + 300.0%) and Northampton (+ 4, + 400.0%) all gained

PTAs each having had only 1 in 2004. Warren lost its sole provider in 2004 and Camden, Clay and Tyrrell

have no PTAs, the same as in 2003.

Psychologists and Psychological Associates

The number of psychologists in North Carolina decreased by 2.6% (- 42) between 2003 and 2004.

This is the first decrease in numbers since 2000. There were twenty- eight counties without a practicing

psychologist in 2003 and twelve counties had only one psychologist. During 2004, thirty- one counties lost

psychologists, sixty- one counties had no change in numbers and fourteen counties gained practicing

psychologists. During 2004, the supply of psychological associates also decreased (- 28, - 3.0%), to its lowest

number for a decade. Overall, thirty- seven counties lost psychological associates and fourteen counties had

no psychological associates in 2004. Four counties ( Carteret, Davie, Martin and Northampton) lost their sole

provider while Macon lost its only two providers. Thirty- three counties experienced no change, and thirty

gained psychological associates. Nineteen counties had only one provider. Two counties, Scotland and

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

11

Transylvania, experienced the highest percentage growth (+ 2, + 200.0% for each) while Wake had the

highest numeric gain (+ 6, 7.7%).

Podiatrists, Optometrists and Chiropractors

In 2004, the podiatry workforce experienced an expansion ( 6.4%, + 15). This year’s growth

continues a trend of workforce increases since 19988. Nineteen counties gained podiatrists, including

Duplin (+ 2) which had no podiatrists in 2002 and 2003. Eight counties lost podiatrists, and seventy- three

had no change in numbers. Forty- three counties have no podiatrists, the same as 2003. Alamance (+ 2),

Davidson(+ 1), Lenoir(+ 1), Wayne (+ 1) and Wilson(+ 1) all doubled their numbers (+ 100.0%). Together,

Forsyth, Mecklenburg, and Wake accounted for almost one- third ( 30.1%) of all podiatrists in the state ( 75

out of 249).

North Carolina’s optometrist workforce grew by 1.6% (+ 14) in 2004, continuing a slow growth

trend that extends back to 1993, except for 2000 when there was a slight decrease in numbers (- 1, - 0.1%).

Nineteen counties gained providers, twenty- two lost providers, and fifty- nine counties experienced no

change. Ten counties had no optometrists, including Tyrrell which lost its sole practitioner in 2004; eight of

these have had none since 1993. Avery (+ 1) had no optometrists in 2003 and gained one in 2004. Wake (+ 6,

+ 6.3%), Guilford (+ 6, + 13.0%) and Mecklenburg (+ 9, + 9.9%) experienced the largest gains. Together, Wake

and Mecklenburg accounted for more than one- fifth ( 22.5%) of all optometrists in the state ( 102 out of 899).

Between 2003 and 2004, North Carolina’s count of chiropractors grew by 3.9% (+ 45). Since 1993,

there have been no losses in supply and 1995 and 1997 showed peak increases of 9.1% (+ 65) and 13.5%

(+ 109) respectively. In 2004, twenty- five counties increased their number of providers, twenty- seven lost

providers, and forty- eight experienced no change. Thirteen counties have no chiropractors, including ten

counties which have remained without any chiropractors since 1993 and Washington county, which lost its

only two providers in 2004. Granville and Jones had the largest percentage gains (+ 1, 100.0%) with each

doubling its supply. Mecklenburg and Wake accounted for an increasingly high proportion of chiropractors

in the state ( 28.5%, 343 out of 1,205), up from 26.7% in 2003.

Respiratory Therapists

Respiratory therapists are new to the Health Professions Data System in 2004. There are fifteen

counties with no respiratory therapists and two counties with only one practitioner. More than 10% ( 11.4%,

372) of all respiratory therapists in North Carolina work in Mecklenburg county.

CHANGES IN PRACTITIONER TO POPULATION RATIOS

North Carolina’s population increased 0.9% between 2003 and 2004, less than the 1.7% growth rate

experienced the previous year9. Any examination of the changes in the supply and distribution of the health

8 This fluctuation may be attributed to a change in processing of podiatry records between 2000 and 2001.

9 The population change reported here was calculated using the July 1, 2003 population estimate and the July 1, 2004

projection as reported by the NC State Data Center ( http:// www. linc. state. nc. us/).

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

12

care workforce must take into account North Carolina’s population growth rate, as well as the differences

in population growth rates across counties of the state. To account for these factors, changes in health

professional supply are illustrated in this section by examining the number of health care professionals per

10,000 people10. The practitioner per 10,000 population ratio provides a better mechanism to compare the

supply and distribution of health professionals across varying geographic areas than the use of simple raw

counts. Tables 3 through 13 ( except Table 5) include the ten highest and lowest ranked North Carolina

counties based on active physicians, primary care physicians, registered nurses, dentists, and pharmacists

per 10,000 population.

Table 5 provides the physician and primary care physician ratios per 10,000 population for the

United States, North Carolina, and selected states that border North Carolina based on American Medical

Association ( AMA) data. Caution should be used in comparing these figures to the ratios shown elsewhere

in the data book because of differences in the data collection efforts at the AMA; the AMA master file relies

on survey data and is updated throughout the year while the North Carolina licensure data are collected in

October of every year.

Table 14 shows the practitioner- per- 10,000 population ratios for all North Carolina counties in

alphabetical order. Similar to Table 2, those licensed professionals for whom activity status is “ unknown”

are included in the “ active” category. Professionals are only counted once and are located in counties based

on primary practice location.

Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratio

The 2004 ratio of N. C. physicians per 10,000 population increased very slightly to 20.3. This is the

third consecutive year that the ratio has remained nearly constant at 20.0 in 2001 and 20.1 in both 2002 and

2003. The counties with the ten largest and ten smallest ratios in 2004 are included in Tables 3 and 4.

Table 3: Counties with the Largest Physicians- per- 10,000- Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Physicians

2004 Total

Population

2004 Physicians per

10,000 Population

2003 Physicians per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

1 Orange 1,130 123,196 90.0 90.1 1

2 Durham 1,596 239,662 68.9 68.0 2

3 Pitt 596 141,019 43.3 42.7 3

4 Forsyth 1,248 321,852 39.5 39.2 4

5 Buncombe 713 215,468 33.3 33.1 5

6 New Hanover 548 172,780 32.4 32.0 6

7 Moore 221 79,900 27.8 27.8 7

8 Pasquotank 97 36,681 26.2 27.2 8

9 Mecklenburg 1,850 769,843 24.9 24.5 10

10 Watauga 106 43,170 24.6 20.9 15

10 Publications of this document prior to the 1999 edition reported population per health professional ratios.

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

13

Table 4: Counties with the Smallest Physicians- per- 10,000- Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Physicians

2004 Total

Population

2004 Physicians per

10,000 Population

2003 Physicians per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

100 Perquimans 2 11,806 1.7 1.7 100

99 Hyde 1 5,792 1.7 1.7 93

98 Tyrrell 1 4,246 2.4 2.4 99

97 Greene 5 20,262 2.5 3.1 98

96 Gates 3 10,882 2.8 2.8 97

95 Currituck 6 21, 059 2.8 3.1 96

94 Stokes 15 46,356 3.2 3.7 94

93 Hoke 14 38,193 3.7 3.6 92

92 Graham 3 8,137 3.7 4.9 91

91 Alexander 13 35,165 3.7 4.0 95

According to the data from the AMA and the U. S. Census Bureau, as seen in Table 5, there were,

on average, about 22.8 physicians per 10,000 population in the United States at the beginning of 2003.

This is up slightly from 21.8 in 2002. According to the AMA data, North Carolina’s ratio was 20.6, slightly

lower than the national average.

Table 5: Physicians & Primary Care Physicians per 10,000 Population, US and Selected States, 2003

AMA Physician Data: US Physician/

10,000 Pop

NC Physician/

10,000 Pop

GA Physician/

10,000 Pop

SC Physician/

10,000 Pop

TN Physician/

10,000 Pop

VA Physician/

10,000 Pop

Total Physicians * 22.77 20.63 19.02 19.32 21.75 21.58

Primary Care Physicians** 9.43 8.61 8.26 8.21 9.13 9.29

Source: Area Resource File, Bureau of Health Professions, National Center for Health Workforce Information and Analysis, data from

AMA Master file, effective 12/ 31/ 03; resident total population estimates by state and national resident total population estimates U. S.

Census Bureau “ Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July

1 ,2004” < http:// www. census. gov/ popest/ states/ tables/ NST- EST2004- 01. xls > Release Date: December 22, 2004.

* Active, nonfederal physicians, excluding residents/ fellows.

** Active, nonfederal physicians, excluding residents/ fellows with specialties of family practice, general practice, internal medicine,

obstetrics/ gynecology, and pediatrics.

Compared to adjacent states, North Carolina has fewer physicians per 10,000 population than

Tennessee and Virginia, but more physicians per population than Georgia and South Carolina. As

mentioned earlier, the county- and state- level ratios using the N. C. Medical Board data are difficult to

compare with the AMA figures due to differences in methodology and timing of data collection and

reporting.

Primary Care Physicians per 10,000 Population Ratio

On average, there were 8.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 population in North Carolina in

2004, the same as in 2003. Tables 6 and 7 illustrate the counties with the largest and the smallest primary

care physician per 10,000 ratios.

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

14

Table 6: Counties with the Largest Primary- Care- Physicians- per- 10,000- Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Primary Care

Physicians

2004 Total

Population

2004 Primary Care

Physicians per

10,000 Population

2003 Primary Care

Physicians per 10,000

Population

2003

Rank

1 Orange 408 123,196 33.1 33.8 1

2 Durham 524 239,662 21.9 21.9 2

3 Pitt 233 141,019 16.5 16.8 3

4 Buncombe 295 215,468 13.7 13.7 5

5 Forsyth 424 321,852 13.2 12.7 7

6 Jones 13 10,257 12.7 14.3 4

7 New Hanover 207 172,780 12.0 12.3 8

8 Swain 16 13,573 11.8 13.3 6

9 Watauga 49 43,170 11.4 8.9 20

10 Mitchell 18 16,052 11.2 9.4 16

Table 7: Counties with the Smallest Primary- Care- Physicians- per- 10,000- Population Ratios, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Primary Care

Physicians

2004 Total

Population

2004 Primary Care

Physicians per 10,000

Population

2003 Primary Care

Physicians per 10,000

Population

2003

Rank

100 Perquimans 2 11,806 1.7 1.7 100

99 Hyde 1 5,792 1.7 3.4 15

98 Currituck 4 21,059 1.9 2.5 96

97 Tyrrell 1 4,246 2.4 2.4 99

96 Pender 11 44,820 2.5 2.5 98

95 Greene 5 20,262 2.5 2.5 97

94 Camden 2 7,852 2.5 2.8 95

93 Stokes 12 46,356 2.6 2.8 94

92 Northampton 6 21,820 2.7 3.2 12

91 Gates 3 10,882 2.8 2.8 93

According to the national AMA data ( see Table 5 on page 13) which, as mentioned previously,

has differences in data collection and timing of collection, there were 9.4 primary care physicians per

10,000 population on average in the United States at the beginning of 2003. This compares to a ratio in

North Carolina of 8.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 population11. Tennessee and Virginia had larger

numbers of primary care physicians per 10,000 population than North Carolina ( with ratios of 9.1 and 9.3

respectively), and Georgia and South Carolina had smaller ratios ( with ratios of 8.3 and 8.2 respectively).

11 Area Resource File, Federal Bureau of Health Professions, National Center for Health Workforce Information and

Analysis, data from AMA Masterfile, effective 12/ 31/ 03; U. S. Census Bureau resident total population estimates

by state and national resident total population estimates “ Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the

United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1 ,2004” < http:// www. census. gov/ popest/

states/ tables/ NST- EST2004- 01. xls > Release Date: December 22, 2004 ( accessed: 01 July 2005).

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15

Dentists per 10,000 Population Ratio

North Carolina had 4.2 dentists per 10,000 population in 2004, a very slight increase from 4.1 per

10,000 population in 2003. National statistics show a ratio of 5.7 dentists per 10,000 population in 200412.

Caution should be used in comparing these national figures to the ratios shown elsewhere in the book

because of differences in the data collection efforts of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tables 8 and 9 report

the counties with the ten largest and ten smallest supply of dentists per 10,000 population ratios in 2004.

The four counties tied for 100— Camden, Hyde, Jones and Tyrrell— have not had a dentist with a primary

practice location in the county since 1995.

Table 8: Counties with the Largest Dentists- per- 10,000- Population Ratio, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Dentists

2004 Total

Population

2004 Dentists per

10,000 Population

2003 Dentists per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

1 Orange 145 123,196 11.8 10.8 1

2 New Hanover 124 172,780 7.2 7.1 2

3 Wake 467 721,437 6.5 6.4 3

4 Mecklenburg 479 769,843 6.2 6.1 4

5 Carteret 38 61,122 6.2 5.6 9

6 Durham 148 239,662 6.2 6.1 5

7 Buncombe 131 215,468 6.1 5.9 6

8 Forsyth 191 321,852 5.9 5.9 7

9 Dare 19 33,906 5.6 5.9 8

10 Guilford 236 438,520 5.4 5.2 10

Table 9: Counties with the Smallest Dentists- per- 10,000- Population Ratio, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Dentists

2004 Total

Population

2004 Dentists per

10,000 Population

2003 Dentists per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

100 Camden 0 7,852 0.0 0.0 100

100 Hyde 0 5,792 0.0 0.0 100

100 Jones 0 10,257 0.0 0.0 100

100 Tyrrell 0 4,246 0.0 0.0 100

96 Northampton 1 21,820 0.5 0.5 96

95 Gates 1 10,882 0.9 0.9 93

94 Madison 2 20,196 1.0 1.5 88

93 Bertie 2 19,748 1.0 0.5 95

92 Franklin 6 52,855 1.1 0.8 94

91 Graham 1 8,137 1.2 2.4 54

12 Bureau of Labor Statistics; “ Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin;”

ftp:// ftp. bls. gov/ pub/ special. requests/ lf/ aat11. txt; ( accessed: 01 July 2005). National resident total population

estimates “ Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April

1, 2000 to July 1 ,2004” < http:// www. census. gov/ popest/ states/ tables/ NST- EST2004- 01. xls > Release Date:

December 22, 2004 ( accessed: 01 July 2005).

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16

Registered Nurses per 10,000 Population Ratio

The average number of registered nurses ( RNs) per 10,000 population increased slightly from

90.0 in 2003 to 90.7 in 2004. North Carolina’s supply of RNs per 10,000 population is higher than the most

current national statistic of 83.9 RNs per 10,000 population in 2004. Caution should be used in comparing

these national figures to the ratios shown elsewhere in the book because of differences in the data

collection efforts of the Bureau of Labor Statistics13. Tables 10 and 11 represent the counties with the

largest and the smallest registered nurses per 10,000 population ratios in year 2004.

Table 10: Counties with the Largest Registered Nurses- per- 10,000- Population Ratio, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Registered Nurses

2004 Total

Population

2004 RNs per

10,000 Population

2003 RNs per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

1 Orange 2,534 123,196 205.7 191.5 2

2 Durham 4,874 239,662 203.4 204.4 1

3 Pitt 2,536 141,019 179.8 179.1 3

4 Forsyth 5,180 321,852 160.9 156.4 5

5 Buncombe 3,459 215,468 160.5 158.1 4

6 New Hanover 2,490 172,780 144.1 140.4 6

7 Moore 1,026 79,900 128.4 128.1 8

8 Pasquotank 466 36,681 127.0 128.9 7

9 Mecklenburg 8,951 769,843 116.3 115.9 9

10 Hertford 266 23,794 111.8 114.9 10

Table 11: Counties with the Smallest Registered Nurses- per- 10,000- Population Ratio, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Registered Nurses

2004 Total

Population

2004 RNs per

10,000 Population

2003 RNs per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

100 Caswell 49 23,965 20.4 22.2 98

99 Gates 24 10,882 22.1 22.8 100

98 Currituck 48 21,059 22.8 20.5 97

97 Camden 18 7,852 22.9 34.4 85

96 Warren 48 20,286 23.7 24.8 96

95 Alexander 87 35,165 24.7 21.8 99

94 Tyrrell 11 4,246 25.9 30.8 90

93 Hoke 101 38,193 26.4 24.8 95

92 Northampton 62 21,820 28.4 28.8 92

91 Perquimans 34 11,806 28.8 31.7 88

13 Bureau of Labor Statistics; “ Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin;”

ftp:// ftp. bls. gov/ pub/ special. requests/ lf/ aat11. txt; ( accessed: 01 July 2005). National resident total population

estimates “ Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April

1, 2000 to July 1 ,2004” < http:// www. census. gov/ popest/ states/ tables/ NST- EST2004- 01. xls > Release Date:

December 22, 2004 ( accessed: 01 July 2005).

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

17

Pharmacists per 10,000 Population Ratio

On average, the state had 8.5 licensed pharmacists per 10,000 population in 2004, the same as in

2003. The national ratio in 2004 was 7.9 pharmacists per 10,000 population14. Again, the reader is

cautioned to use care in comparing these national figures to the ratios shown elsewhere in the book

because of differences in the data collection efforts of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. See Tables 12 and 13

for the North Carolina counties ranking the highest and lowest pharmacists to population ratios.

Table 12: Counties with the Largest Pharmacists- per- 10,000- Population Ratio, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Pharmacists

2004 Total

Population

2004 Pharmacists per

10,000 Population

2003 Pharmacists per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

1 Durham 622 239,662 26.0 26.2 1

2 Orange 217 123,196 17.6 18.5 2

3 Lenoir 75 59,091 12.7 13.9 3

4 Forsyth 402 321,852 12.5 12.4 5

5 Pitt 176 141,019 12.5 13.0 4

6 Buncombe 255 215,468 11.8 11.7 6

7 Wake 766 721,437 10.6 10.5 8

8 New Hanover 177 172,780 10.2 10.7 7

9 Cabarrus 145 146,852 9.9 8.9 12

10 Dare 33 33,906 9.7 9.6 17

Table 13: Counties with the Smallest Pharmacists- per- 10,000- Population Ratio, 2004 vs. 2003

2004

Rank County

2004 Total

Pharmacists

2004 Total

Population

2004 Pharmacists per

10,000 Population

2003 Pharmacists per

10,000 Population

2003

Rank

100 Camden 0 7,852 0.0 0.0 100

100 Hyde 0 5,792 0.0 0.0 100

98 Northampton 4 21,820 1.8 1.8 97

97 Currituck 4 21,059 1.9 1.5 98

96 Jones 2 10,257 1.9 1.9 95

95 Tyrrell 1 4,246 2.4 2.4 93

94 Caswell 6 23,965 2.5 2.9 90

93 Gates 3 10,882 2.8 1.9 96

92 Greene 6 20,262 3.0 2.0 94

91 Pamlico 4 13,071 3.1 3.8 84

14 Bureau of Labor Statistics; “ Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin;”

ftp:// ftp. bls. gov/ pub/ special. requests/ lf/ aat11. txt; ( accessed: 01 July 2005). National resident total population

estimates “ Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April 1,

2000 to July 1 ,2004” < http:// www. census. gov/ popest/ states/ tables/ NST- EST2004- 01. xls > Release Date:

December 22, 2004 ( accessed: 01 July 2005).

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18

Active Health Professionals per 10,000 Population Ratios for All Counties

Table 14 reports year 2004 data for selected active health professionals per 10,000 population

ratios for physicians, primary care physicians, 15 dentists, registered nurses, and pharmacists for all

counties listed in alphabetical order.

Table 14: Active Health- Professionals- per- 10,000- Population Ratios, 2004

County

2004 Total

Population

Physicians per

10,000

Population

Primary Care

Physicians per

10,000

Population

Dentists

per 10,000

Population

Registered

Nurses per

10,000

Population

Pharmacists

per 10,000

Population

Alamance 138,754 13.3 5.9 4.2 57.5 7.2

Alexander 35,165 3.7 3.1 2.0 24.7 4.0

Alleghany 10,912 11.9 10.1 1.8 69.6 4.6

Anson 25,384 7.5 4.7 2.0 50.8 4.3

Ashe 25,320 8.7 6.3 2.0 47.8 7.5

Avery 18,221 11.0 6.0 3.3 73.0 9.3

Beaufort 45,816 13.3 6.1 2.8 84.3 6.5

Bertie 19,748 6.1 5.1 1.0 51.1 4.1

Bladen 33,119 6.9 5.7 1.5 47.7 4.2

Brunswick 83,787 10.1 4.5 2.9 48.8 7.4

Buncombe 215,468 33.3 13.7 6.1 160.5 11.8

Burke 89,943 18.9 7.9 3.6 102.0 7.9

Cabarrus 146,852 21.0 9.4 3.1 96.6 9.9

Caldwell 78,606 9.5 5.5 2.7 48.0 4.6

Camden 7,852 3.8 2.5 0.0 22.9 0.0

Carteret 61,122 14.9 7.2 6.2 71.0 8.7

Caswell 23,965 5.8 5.0 1.7 20.4 2.5

Catawba 148,797 22.5 8.9 4.2 110.8 8.7

Chatham 54,645 7.5 5.9 1.8 41.4 4.6

Cherokee 25,694 14.4 9.0 3.5 76.3 9.0

Chowan 14,453 18.7 10.4 2.1 96.9 7.6

Clay 9,499 7.4 5.3 3.2 45.3 6.3

Cleveland 98,497 15.2 7.6 3.4 81.4 6.3

Columbus 54,917 9.5 4.9 1.8 81.6 8.9

Craven 93,454 22.5 8.6 3.9 97.2 7.1

Cumberland 311,526 15.0 6.8 3.6 70.0 6.0

Currituck 21,059 2.8 1.9 1.9 22.8 1.9

Dare 33,906 13.9 7.7 5.6 67.2 9.7

Davidson 153,897 7.7 4.5 1.9 44.4 5.7

Davie 37,871 5.5 3.7 2.6 31.4 6.6

Duplin 51,821 5.4 4.2 2.1 49.4 5.4

Durham 239,662 68.9 21.9 6.2 203.4 26.0

Edgecombe 53,777 7.1 4.3 1.3 50.8 4.1

Forsyth 321,852 39.5 13.2 5.9 160.9 12.5

Franklin 52,855 5.9 2.8 1.1 37.3 3.4

Gaston 192,650 17.8 8.1 3.8 71.4 7.9

Gates 10,882 2.8 2.8 0.9 22.1 2.8

Graham 8,137 3.7 3.7 1.2 38.1 6.1

15 Primary care physicians are those who report their primary specialty as family practice, general practice, internal

medicine, pediatrics, or obstetrics/ gynecology.

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

19

County

2004 Total

Population

Physicians per

10,000

Population

Primary Care

Physicians per

10,000

Population

Dentists

per 10,000

Population

Registered

Nurses per

10,000

Population

Pharmacists

per 10,000

Population

Granville 53,346 13.3 5.4 2.6 97.1 7.9

Greene 20,262 2.5 2.5 2.5 31.6 3.0

Guilford 438,520 22.9 9.4 5.4 108.4 9.6

Halifax 56,947 13.5 7.2 1.9 73.6 6.3

Harnett 100,271 6.4 4.7 2.1 36.3 5.6

Haywood 56,418 17.4 7.6 4.1 71.8 7.3

Henderson 96,370 23.5 10.7 4.7 96.5 7.3

Hertford 23,794 16.8 8.4 4.6 111.8 7.1

Hoke 38,193 3.7 2.9 1.6 26.4 3.4

Hyde 5,792 1.7 1.7 0.0 38.0 0.0

Iredell 136,387 18.6 7.4 4.8 108.0 8.8

Jackson 35,627 21.9 10.7 3.1 84.5 5.6

Johnston 140,719 7.5 4.7 2.2 36.9 6.5

Jones 10,257 20.5 12.7 0.0 33.1 1.9

Lee 50,561 17.0 8.7 4.2 67.0 6.9

Lenoir 59,091 20.0 8.0 4.4 93.2 12.7

Lincoln 68,630 8.3 5.2 2.5 39.5 6.8

McDowell 43,647 7.6 4.8 2.1 58.2 4.6

Macon 31,968 20.3 9.7 3.8 66.0 6.9

Madison 20,196 6.9 6.4 1.0 31.2 4.0

Martin 24,930 7.6 5.6 2.0 48.5 8.4

Mecklenburg 769,843 24.9 9.8 6.2 116.3 9.7

Mitchell 16,052 15.0 11.2 3.1 90.3 9.3

Montgomery 27,680 4.7 3.6 1.8 35.8 5.4

Moore 79,900 27.8 9.0 5.4 128.4 8.9

Nash 90,546 19.4 9.2 5.0 98.0 6.8

New Hanover 172,780 32.4 12.0 7.2 144.1 10.2

Northampton 21,820 4.1 2.7 0.5 28.4 1.8

Onslow 159,817 7.5 3.6 3.4 46.6 3.7

Orange 123,196 90.0 33.1 11.8 205.7 17.6

Pamlico 13,071 6.1 5.4 3.1 35.2 3.1

Pasquotank 36,681 26.2 9.8 3.5 127.0 8.7

Pender 44,820 4.0 2.5 2.2 37.3 6.2

Perquimans 11,806 1.7 1.7 1.7 28.8 3.4

Person 37,594 9.3 5.3 2.4 49.7 6.6

Pitt 141,019 43.3 16.5 3.9 179.8 12.5

Polk 19,194 12.0 6.3 3.6 82.3 6.3

Randolph 137,385 9.6 5.4 2.7 35.7 3.8

Richmond 46,594 9.7 6.7 3.2 74.0 6.2

Robeson 127,253 10.9 5.9 1.7 59.3 5.6

Rockingham 92,893 11.6 6.0 2.9 57.6 7.6

Rowan 135,147 10.8 5.5 3.6 72.2 7.3

Rutherford 63,861 13.3 7.0 2.8 66.9 6.7

Sampson 63,597 8.0 5.2 1.6 52.8 5.2

Scotland 35,690 15.1 8.4 2.5 88.0 7.8

Stanly 59,533 14.1 7.9 2.5 66.9 6.9

Stokes 46,356 3.2 2.6 1.5 29.8 4.1

Surry 72,810 14.8 8.4 3.2 75.5 6.9

Swain 13,573 13.3 11.8 3.7 70.0 3.7

Transylvania 29,799 14.4 9.1 3.4 71.5 6.7

Tyrrell 4,246 2.4 2.4 0.0 25.9 2.4

Union 149,045 8.6 4.3 2.0 44.6 4.5

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

20

County

2004 Total

Population

Physicians per

10,000

Population

Primary Care

Physicians per

10,000

Population

Dentists

per 10,000

Population

Registered

Nurses per

10,000

Population

Pharmacists

per 10,000

Population

Vance 44,216 14.5 7.7 2.3 55.4 8.4

Wake 721,437 20.8 9.1 6.5 97.2 10.6

Warren 20,286 4.4 3.9 2.5 23.7 3.5

Washington 13,435 7.4 4.5 2.2 49.9 4.5

Watauga 43,170 24.6 11.4 5.1 86.2 6.9

Wayne 114,778 15.9 7.3 3.7 85.3 8.0

Wilkes 67,509 10.2 5.6 3.1 61.3 4.4

Wilson 76,312 13.9 5.6 2.8 81.1 8.1

Yadkin 37,524 4.5 4.3 1.6 29.8 4.3

Yancey 18,131 8.3 8.3 2.2 39.7 3.3

State Total 8,562,210 20.3 8.6 4.2 90.7 8.5

2 0 0 4 N . C . H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s D a t a B o o k

21

NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY AND REGIONAL

HEALTH PROFESSIONS

AND

RELATED HEALTH STATISTICS

Alamance

MSA county designation: Metropolitan AHEC Region: Greensboro

HEALTH- RELATED STATISTICS

DEMOGRAPHICS

Vital Statistics 2003

Employment and Income Data

% Births < 2500 gms 9.5

Teen Pregnancies 306 Teen Pregnancy Rate 61.1

Total Pregnancies 2,277 Total Pregnancy Rate 77.3

Total 8.7 White 6.1

Unemployed 2004 4,299

Employed 2004 65,383

Labor Force 2004 69,682

Unemployment Rate 2004 (%) 6.2

Per Capita Income 2003 $ 26,030

Medicaid Eligibles 2003 21,726

Projected Population 2004

Hospital/ Facility Data

( unduplicated count)

General Hospital Discharges 2003 15,379 General Hospital Beds 2004 182 Nursing Facility Beds 2004 872

Total Ages 0- 19 Ages 20- 64 Ages 65+

138,754

109,651

29,103

38,232

29,063

9,169

81,895

64,776

17,119

18,627

15,812

2,815

2004 ACTIVE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS*

Total

White

Nonwhite

% of Pop.

Physicians

Non- Federal Physicians 184

Primary Care Physicians 82 Nurse Practitioners 26

Family Practice 27

General Practice 0

Internal Medicine 29

Obstetrics/ Gynecology 8

Pediatrics 18

Physician Assistants 23

Licensed Practical Nurse 193

Registered Nurses 798

Federal Physicians 1

Other Specialties 101

Physicians per 10,000 Population 13.3

Primary Care Physicians

per 10,000 Population

5.9

Nurses

Chiropractors 18

Optometrists 15

Pharmacists 100

Physical Therapists 65

Physical Therapist Assistants 11

Podiatrists 4

Practicing Psychologists 9

Psychological Associates 4

**

100.0% 27.6% 59.0% 13.4%

Resident Births 1,838

Resident Deaths 1,368

Nonwhite 19.9

( Rates are per 1,000 population)

( ages 15- 19) ( ages 15- 19)

Infant Mortality Rates 2003

( Rates are per 1,000 population)

Certified Nurse Midwives

+ ++

5

Dentists and Dental Hygienists

Dentists 58

Dental Hygienists 66

Other Health Professionals

Respiratory Therapists 22

Numbers reported include those who are active within the profession and those with unknown activity status who were newly licensed in 2004;

Includes NC Medical Board licensed federal physicians in the armed services, US Public Health Service, Indian Health Service, and the

22 © 2005 UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research

+ Counts are for discharges of county residents from acute- care, short- stay hospitals; numbers exclude normal newborns.

++ Counts of hospital beds in acute care short stay hospitals in county.