# Physician Shortage * **Definition:** A situation in which the demand for physicians exceeds the supply, leading to insufficient healthcare providers to meet the needs of the population, often resulting in longer wait times for patients, reduced access to care, and increased pressure on existing healthcare professionals. * **Taxonomy:** Healthcare Topics / Physician Shortage ## News * Selected news on the topic of **Physician Shortage**, for healthcare technology leaders * 3.3K news items are in the system for this topic * Posts have been filtered for tech and healthcare-related keywords | Date | Title | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | 5/28/2025 | [**Navigating Healthcare Transformation: Leadership Strategies for a Resilient, Tech-Enabled Future**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/podcasts/uncategorized/navigating-healthcare-transformation-leadership-strategies-for-a-resilient-tech-enabled-future/) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 5/28/2025 | [**Navigating Healthcare Transformation: Leadership Strategies for a Resilient, Tech-Enabled Future**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/podcasts/podcasts-beckers-hospital-review/navigating-healthcare-transformation-leadership-strategies-for-a-resilient-tech-enabled-future/) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 5/27/2025 | [**Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace - KevinMD.com**](https://kevinmd.com/2025/05/addressing-the-physician-shortage-how-ai-can-help-not-replace.html) | [[KevinMD]] | | 5/27/2025 | [**Opinion: A CT doctor shortage made worse - HealthLeaders Media**](https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/opinion-ct-doctor-shortage-made-worse) | [[HealthLeaders Media]] | | 5/20/2025 | [**Ambulatory Surgical & Emergency Center Services Market 2025: AI, Electrification, and ...**](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ambulatory-surgical-emergency-center-fotve/) | [[Linkedin]] | | 5/12/2025 | [**Mass General Brigham to invest $400M in primary care**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/mass-general-brigham-to-invest-400m-in-primary-care/) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 5/8/2025 | [**Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Launches “CloseKnit” Virtual-First Primary Care Option**](https://hitconsultant.net/2025/05/08/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-massachusetts-launches-closeknit-virtual-first-primary-care-option/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 4/28/2025 | [**South Korea's Physician Shortage Crisis: Lessons For US Policy Makers**](https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/south-korea-s-physician-shortage-crisis-lessons-us-policy-makers) | [[Health Affairs]] | | 4/21/2025 | [**NIH Research Funding Cuts Could Negatively Impact Physician Shortage**](https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/nih-research-funding-cuts-could-negatively-impact-physician-shortage/) | [[KFF Health News]] | | 4/18/2025 | [**NIH grant uncertainty may worsen physician shortage**](https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/nih-funding-uncertainty-physician-shortage) | [[Modern Healthcare]] | | 4/15/2025 | [**OURA Expands Leadership, Appoints Ricky Bloomfield as Chief Medical Officer**](https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/oura-expands-leadership-appoints-ricky-bloomfield-as-chief-medical-officer/) | [[Healthcare Technology Report]] | | 4/8/2025 | [**The Next Evolution in Care Delivery: Key Barriers to Scaling In-Home Primary Care**](https://medcitynews.com/2025/04/the-next-evolution-in-care-delivery-key-barriers-to-scaling-in-home-primary-care/) | [[MedCity News]] | | 3/18/2025 | [**Collegiality among physicians key to addressing the ongoing workforce shortage**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/collegiality-among-physicians-key-to-addressing-the-ongoing-workforce-shortage/) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 3/17/2025 | [**A 'pivotal shift' in health management physicians should prepare for: Viewpoint**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/a-pivotal-shift-in-health-management-physicians-should-prepare-for-viewpoint.html) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 1/14/2025 | [**25 Executive Digital Health Predictions o Watch in 2025**](https://hitconsultant.net/2025/01/14/25-executive-digital-health-predictions-trends-to-watch-in-2025/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 1/11/2025 | [**Weekly Roundup - January 11, 2025 - Healthcare IT Today**](https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2025/01/11/weekly-roundup-january-11-2025/) | [[Healthcare IT Today]] | | 1/6/2025 | [**How Providers Can Differentiate Themselves as Physician Employers Among Workforce Shortages**](https://medcitynews.com/2025/01/providers-healthcare-workforce-shortage-physician/) | [[MedCity News]] | | 12/25/2024 | [**Healthcare In 2025: A Year Of Practical AI, Remote Care And Patient-Centered Solutions**](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/12/26/healthcare-in-2025-a-year-of-practical-ai-remote-care-and-patient-centered-solutions/) | [[Forbes]] | | 12/2/2024 | [**The Rise and Promise of Technology in Home Health - Becker's Hospital Review**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/innovation/the-rise-and-promise-of-technology-in-home-health.html) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 11/22/2024 | [**CMS releases 200 new Medicare residency slots**](https://www.modernhealthcare.com/policy/medicare-residency-slots-primary-care-psychiatry-cms) | [[Modern Healthcare]] | | 7/29/2024 | [**Prescribing data and efficiency: Harnessing technology to alleviate the physician shortage in the U.S.**](https://www.kevinmd.com/2024/07/prescribing-data-and-efficiency-harnessing-technology-to-alleviate-the-physician-shortage-in-the-u-s.html) | [[KevinMD]] | | 1/22/2024 | [**AI risks in healthcare: Misdiagnosis, inequality, and ethical concerns**](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240123/AI-risks-in-healthcare-Misdiagnosis-inequality-and-ethical-concerns.aspx) | [[News Medical Net]] | | 11/1/2023 | [**Countering the Growing Physician Shortage with Telemedicine**](https://medcitynews.com/2023/11/countering-the-growing-physician-shortage-with-telemedicine/) | [[MedCity News]] | | 9/24/2023 | [**Policymakers must take action on the physician shortage**](https://www.statnews.com/2023/09/25/rural-doctor-shortage-congress-redi-act-medical-school-loans/) | [[STAT]] | | 7/26/2019 | [**More medical students than ever, but more residency slots needed to solve physician shortage, AAMC says**](https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/practices/more-medical-students-than-ever-but-more-residency-slots-needed-to-solve-physician) | [[FierceHealthcare]] | ## Topic Overview (Some LLM-derived content — please confirm with above primary sources) ### Key Players - **National Center for Health Workforce Analysis**: Projects a significant physician shortage, estimating a deficit of 167,000 by 2032. - **American Association of Medical Colleges**: Provides estimates on physician shortages, projecting a deficit of 86,000 by 2036. - **Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group**: Addressing the physician shortage in the U.S. by increasing hiring and focusing on talent retention. - **Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians**: Led by Dr. Alexa Kimball, advocates for patient education to enhance care amid physician shortages. - **Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)**: A leading institution addressing physician shortages by constructing a new medical school building to enhance training and education for future healthcare professionals. - **American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)**: An organization that provides data and analysis on physician workforce trends and shortages, projecting future deficits in the physician workforce. - **American Medical Association (AMA)**: A key organization advocating for legislation to address physician shortages and improve access to care. - **Sutter Health**: Focuses on Graduate Medical Education (GME) to ensure long-term physician recruitment and retention. - **Access TeleCare**: Provides telemedicine services to underserved areas, addressing physician shortages and improving patient care. - **Mass General Brigham**: Investing nearly $400 million to enhance primary care services and address physician shortages. - **Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts**: Launching 'CloseKnit', a virtual-first primary care option to improve access amid physician shortages. - **University of Texas System**: An educational system focusing on expanding medical education and addressing physician shortages through new medical schools and partnerships. - **Nurse Practitioners (NPs)**: Advanced practice providers who are increasingly utilized to mitigate physician shortages by performing many of the same services as doctors. - **Steve Gable**: Vice President of Sales at Medicus Healthcare Solutions, emphasizing data-driven insights to address physician shortages. - **Phoebe Putney Health System**: Partnering with Morehouse School of Medicine to establish new residency programs and improve healthcare access in Southwest Georgia. - **Teladoc Health**: Introduced AI-enabled features to enhance patient safety and address workforce shortages. - **RhythmX AI**: Develops AI-powered tools to assist primary care physicians in clinical decision-making and reduce administrative burdens. - **John Dalrymple**: Dean and CEO of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, aiming to transform medical education. - **VSee Health, Inc.**: A telehealth company that provides teleradiology services to improve access to care and reduce physician burnout. - **Microsoft**: A technology company developing AI tools to improve healthcare delivery and reduce physician workloads. ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **Sutter Health and Academic Institutions**: Expanded residency and fellowship programs to address physician shortages. - **MUSC and State of South Carolina**: MUSC is expanding its facilities to combat a projected shortage of 3,500 physicians by 2030. - **Medicus Healthcare Solutions**: Developing innovative staffing solutions to connect healthcare providers with medical facilities. - **Suki and Federally Qualified Health Centers**: Collaboration to help providers manage high patient volumes in underserved areas. - **Equum Medical and NCHN**: This collaboration focuses on improving telehealth access for rural providers to address workforce shortages. - **Phoebe Putney Health System and Morehouse School of Medicine**: This partnership aims to introduce new residency programs and enhance healthcare access. - **Nicklaus Children's Health System and Florida International University**: A strategic affiliation to establish a pediatric academic hospital aimed at enhancing pediatric medicine and addressing the pediatric physician shortage. - **Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts**: The 'CloseKnit' initiative aims to provide accessible healthcare through virtual and in-person options. - **Mesmerise and Mayo Clinic**: Partnering to create NeuRealities, focusing on enhancing medical education and workforce training through AI. - **Aya Healthcare and Cross Country Healthcare**: Aya plans to acquire Cross Country to expand its tech-enabled workforce solutions and address healthcare staffing shortages. - **RhythmX AI and Presbyterian Healthcare Services**: Collaborating to pilot AI tools aimed at enhancing patient access and care quality. - **VSee Health and Premier, Inc.**: A group purchasing agreement to provide customizable telehealth solutions to enhance patient care and reduce costs. - **Access TeleCare and Hospitals**: Partnerships with hospitals like Palo Pinto General Hospital to enhance patient care and reduce transfers. - **Microsoft and Mass General Brigham**: Collaborating to leverage generative AI in radiology to improve efficiency and reduce workloads. - **Ellipsis Health and Ceras Health**: Partnership to enhance mental health care through real-time severity scoring. - **K Health and Health Systems**: Collaborating to develop a comprehensive care model that integrates virtual and in-person care. - **HCA Healthcare and Google Cloud**: Expanding their partnership to incorporate generative AI into HCA's workflows. - **University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT Austin**: A collaboration to leverage computational expertise and cancer patient data to enhance research capabilities in cancer treatment. ### Innovations, Trends, and Initiatives - **Direct Employment of Physicians**: Health systems are increasingly hiring specialists directly to fill gaps in specialty care and reduce reliance on staffing agencies. - **Telemedicine Growth**: Increasing demand for telehealth services is reshaping care delivery models and adding pressure on physicians. - **Telehealth Expansion**: Increasing telehealth access is seen as a potential solution to address physician shortages, despite reimbursement challenges. - **New Medical Schools**: Initiatives like Roseman University of Health Sciences opening a College of Medicine to address local physician shortages through innovative training programs. - **Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)**: Increasingly taking on roles traditionally held by physicians to address shortages and enhance patient care. - **Concierge Medicine**: Emerging as an alternative care model to enhance patient-physician connectivity and improve job satisfaction for physicians. - **Telehealth Solutions**: Chase County Community Hospital exploring telehealth to address physician shortages and improve emergency care. - **Telemedicine**: 89% of physicians believe telemedicine improves patient access and outcomes, becoming a crucial component of healthcare delivery. - **Graduate Medical Education (GME) Expansion**: CMS announced 200 new residency slots to enhance primary care and mental health training. - **Telemedicine Expansion**: The growth of telehealth services, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is seen as a critical tool to enhance accessibility and reduce clinician burden. - **Artificial Intelligence (AI)**: Expected to reduce administrative burdens and enhance clinical decision-making, fostering trust among physicians. - **Workforce Management Technology**: Utilizing technology to optimize staffing and reduce clinician burnout. - **Team-based Care Models**: Healthcare organizations are implementing team-based care to enhance patient outcomes and improve physician retention. - **In-home Primary Care Services**: Emerging models like 'Housepitalist' are being developed to provide care in patients' homes, addressing access issues. - **AI in Healthcare**: Utilization of AI tools to alleviate administrative burdens on physicians and improve patient care efficiency. - **AI-Powered Clinical Documentation Tools**: Being implemented by health systems to reduce administrative burdens on physicians. - **Generative AI in Healthcare**: Utilized for rapid interpretation of medical tests and improving workflow efficiencies to alleviate physician burnout. - **Patient Self-Management**: Increasingly important as patients turn to self-management due to access barriers, necessitating improved health literacy. ### Challenges and Concerns - **Physician Shortage**: Projected to reach 167,000 by 2032, leading to longer wait times and increased reliance on emergency departments. - **Physician Shortage Statistics**: Projected deficit of 68,020 primary care physicians by 2036, with rural areas facing a 56% shortage. - **Aging Population**: The increasing demand for healthcare services due to an aging population exacerbates the physician shortage. - **Physician Burnout**: Ongoing reimbursement cuts and increased workloads are contributing to physician dissatisfaction and burnout, exacerbating the physician shortage. - **Recruitment Challenges**: Increased time to fill physician positions, particularly in rural settings, exacerbated by licensing and credentialing delays. - **Funding Uncertainty**: Changes in NIH funding and potential cuts could exacerbate physician shortages by limiting training opportunities. - **Financial Strain on Healthcare Facilities**: High labor costs and a limited talent pool are causing operational losses for many hospitals, complicating efforts to address physician shortages. - **International Medical Graduates**: Potential visa policy changes could hinder their ability to practice, exacerbating the physician shortage. - **Healthcare Deserts**: Areas with limited access to medical services are exacerbated by the growing healthcare worker shortage. - **Access Issues**: Patients facing long wait times for appointments, with some waiting nearly a month to see a new physician. - **Administrative Burdens**: Ongoing challenges contributing to physician burnout and dissatisfaction, impacting workforce trends. ## Related Topics [[Nursing Shortage]]; [[Healthcare Workforce Shortages]]; [[Healthcare Workforce Shortage]]; [[Pediatric Workforce Shortage]]; [[Provider Shortages]]; [[Staffing Shortages]]