Top 10 Projected Occupations in 2026

Top 10 Projected Occupations in 2026

Healthcare workers dominate the top 10 list for projected job growth. Nine of the top 10 jobs are projected to have greater than 30% growth over the coming 10 years. Using the new Degree-to-Jobs Interactive, we sorted the projections table by projected growth and isolated the top 10 jobs as shown…

Is There an Oasis in the New Food Data?

The recently released updated Food Environment Atlas data by the USDA give us a real glimpse into the progress that we as a nation are making on combating food deserts. The USDA defines food deserts as lack of access to a healthy food retail outlet (a supermarket or large grocery store)…

BLS Releases New 10-Year Employment Projections

Last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its 10-year employment projection data. This data is updated every other year. The new data shows a projected increase over the next decade of 7.4% which is a noticeable increase over the previous 6.5% 10-year projections in 2014. These projections are not…

Big City Problems in Ohio’s Small Towns

Today, The Center for Community Solutions released a report entitled “Big City Problems in Ohio’s Small Towns” written by former Community Solutions Executive Director John Begala. John took a comprehensive look at the economic, health, educational, and social well-being of 47 small Ohio cities. John leveraged the power of the…

Healthcare Rankings and the Healthiest Cities

Healthcare Rankings and the Healthiest Cities

We in the U.S. love our rankings. I think it is embedded in our DNA. As a student of data, I love to see the various rankings and how people get worked up over them. Healthgrades recently released its latest analysis of top quality hospitals and its National Health Index, which…

Student Default Rates for 2014 Flatten at 15.4%

Student Default Rates for 2014 Flatten at 15.4%

Last week we looked at student repayment rates and noted that longer-term repayment rates continue to decline for five and seven year repayment periods. Repayment rates are in essence a measure of optimism as it is the percentage of students who have made progress in paying down their student loans….

The Race for Nurses

The Race for Nurses

There is a race that is brewing between millenials who are becoming registered nurses and the hiring that has started at U.S. hospitals. A Health Affairs study concluded that Millennials are becoming registered nurses at nearly twice the rate of baby boomers, but that still won’t necessarily prevent a nursing shortage…

Have Student Debt Repayment Rates Bottomed?

Have Student Debt Repayment Rates Bottomed?

Student repayment rates continues to decline, although the trend seems to be slowing, according to the most recent College Scorecard data. This data measures repayment rates at 1,3,5, and 7 years. Repayment rates and default rates are very different. Repayment rates are the percentage of students who have made progress…

Student Debt Rises 13%

Student Debt Rises 13%

The newest College Scorecard data released several weeks ago reveals an ongoing trend in student debt. The median student debt increased 13.1% from 2015 to 2016. The median student debt has now more than doubled since 2007 as shown by the following graph. We calculated this using a weighted average…

Outpatient Medicare Hospital Costs up 13%

Outpatient Medicare Hospital Costs up 13%

The 2016 outpatient procedure data shows overall hospital volume up 11% from 2015. Using data from the Outpatient Procedure Analysis Interactive, we also found that the volume times the average full cost (weighted average cost) on a procedure basis has increased 13.3%. We ran the numbers several ways – first…

Tuition Bears Increasing Brunt of Higher Ed. Revenue

Tuition Bears Increasing Brunt of Higher Ed. Revenue

In 2011, Tuition and Fees represented 20.6% of public institutional revenue. In 2015, it has increased to 24.25%. Most of the reshuffling of revenue has come from federal operating grants and contracts as noted by the graphs below. Interestingly, state appropriations have remained relatively constant. Similarly, non-profit institutions have seen tuition…

Are Outpatient Imaging Quality Measures Effective?

Are Outpatient Imaging Quality Measures Effective?

CMS began developing measures evaluating imaging efficiency back in 2007. These performance measures have been distributed as part of Hospital Compare for the past four years. Lower percentages suggest more efficient use of medical imaging. The purpose of reporting these measures is to reduce unnecessary exposure to contrast materials and/or…