Hospital & Healthcare Management July 30, 2021
More than 82 million people currently live in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), according to the Health Resources & Services Administration’s first quarter 2021 summary.
This means that roughly 25% of the U.S. population resides in regions without a sufficient number of primary, dental and/or mental health care providers. As a first-world country that spends the most per capita in healthcare, how does the U.S. find itself with a quarter of the population experiencing a lack of critical care services? According to the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, four critical factors contribute to whether an area might experience a healthcare worker shortage.
An aging population
The Health and Aging Policy Fellows reports that by 2030, the youngest...