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City of Medicine

The 1910 invention of B.C. Headache powders in Durham may have been the City’s first step toward its City of Medicine, USA, designation. This identity is built on Durham’s outstanding hospitals and major national and multinational health-care companies: it is also built on the City’s cutting-edge research companies, specialty clinics, nationally recognized medical teaching facilities, and acclaimed centers for weight management.

Durham has become synonymous with medicine. Nearly one in three people in Durham works in a health-related field, making medicine the City’s leading industry. The City of Medicine now has more than 300 medical and health-related companies and medical practices, with a combined payroll that exceeds $1.5 billion annually.

At the heart of Durham's reputation are six modern hospitals — Duke University Hospital & Medical Center, Duke Children’s Hospital & McGovern-Davison Health Center, Durham Regional Hospital, Durham Veteran's Administration (VA) Medical Center, Lenox Baker Children's Hospital, and North Carolina Eye & Ear Hospital — which offer more than 100 different medical services. Research Triangle Park, the largest university related research park in the world is based in Durham County and encompassed by the City of Durham.

Consider these facts:

  • The city has a physician-to-population ratio four times greater than the national average. There are more than 2,300 licensed physicians and interns in Durham.
  • More than 15,622 people receive hospitalized care and 727,500 outpatient services are provided annually.
  • More than $600 million is spent annually on medical and health-related research in Durham.
  • Durham is home to 2,220 physicians, 1,824 involved with patient care. This is a ratio per capita of 109 to 1 compared to 549 to 1 in North Carolina and 420 to 1 nationally.
  • 42,000 workers in Durham are employed in health-related industries. This amounts to 27.5% of the workforce in all of Durham County, or more than 1 in 4 in medical, pharmaceutical, biotech or a related industry.
  • Durham has 4,769 registered nurses or a ratio of 43 to 1 compared to 125 to 1 in NC and 141 to 1 nationally.
  • Healthcare payroll in Durham is $1.5 billion or 36 cents of every Durham payroll dollar.
  • Duke University Medical Center alone conducts $213.2 million annually in research, a 212% increase in constant dollars since 1983.
  • Durham is home to 50% of the biotech firms based in North Carolina and 60% of the Clinical Research Organizations including Quintiles Transnational, the world's largest.

 

Last updated 2/27/04