Health Care Providers Impact Statement for Wahkiakum County
Number of docs in 2009: three. That’s 7.4 physicians per 10,000 population1, the fourth-lowest rate in western Washington. Washington’s rate is 21.2 physicians per 10,0002; the national average is about 20.2 per 10,000. Washington imports about 85% of its physicians from other states or nations.3
Health professional breakout: Wahkiakum County doesn’t have a hospital, but Cathlamet does have a family practice clinic, in addition to an eye clinic, dentists’ office and pharmacy.4
Number of current WWAMI Spokane medical students from Wahkiakum County: zero
Number of current WSU pharmacy students from Wahkiakum County: zero
Number of current WSU nursing students from Wahkiakum County: one
UW School of Medicine clinical faculty in Wahkiakum County: none5
Health professionals in Wahkiakum County who graduated from Washington colleges: unknown6
The county does not currently have any medical education sites.7
Wahkiakum County unemployment rate (Nov. 2012): 11.2% (state average 7.8% seasonally adjusted, 7.3% not seasonally adjusted) 8
Health care/social assistance employment in Wahkiakum County 9: 0 (out of 641 jobs).
1According to the UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
2UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
3Association of American Medical Colleges
4Numbers gleaned from hospital and clinic websites
5UW Clinical faculty listing: http://depts.washington.edu/fammed/clinical_faculty/listings
6Numbers calculated from hospital and clinic websites
7http://uwmedicine.washington.edu/Education/WWAMI/Documents/2011%20WWAMI%20Maps.pdf
8Washington Department of Employment Security
9Washington Department of Employment Security (third quarter, 2010)