Staffing firm report examines ‘shortfall’ of U.S. general surgeons

Locum tenens and healthcare workforce solutions company Medicus Healthcare Solutions has released a report that projects that the U.S. will face a shortfall of 2,020 full-time equivalent (FTE) general surgeons this year, “with the gap expected to grow to 3,170 by 2031.”

The company states that its report, “General Surgery at a Critical Point: Responding to Rising Demand and Limited Supply,” compiles “national workforce data and proprietary insights” to produce a “comprehensive look at the general surgery workforce.” The report examines factors that are “driving the growing supply-demand imbalance, including rising surgical demand, training pipeline constraints, and rural access disparities, while outlining actionable strategies healthcare organizations can use to strengthen surgical coverage and workforce stability.”

Some of the report’s findings, in the company’s words:

• There are approximately nine general surgeons per 100,000 people in the U.S.
• Roughly 60 million individuals reside in rural areas, while only 8.5% of general surgeons provide care there.
• Of the 48 states with rural hospitals, 40 have at least one hospital that has stopped offering general surgery.
• 17.1% of hospitals report being unable to maintain 24/7 surgery coverage, with more than half citing insufficient surgeon availability as the reason.

Access the complete report here.