How does a shortage of surgeons affect access to health care?
We are already seeing the effects of this shortage in the growing number of overwhelmed emergency rooms across the country. Experts predict that two of every five rural hospitals may have to close because they are not able to staff their surgery departments. With the growing number of people needing surgical procedures every year, especially as our population ages, there are fewer surgeons to meet that demand. There is increasing risk that a patient may not be able to find a surgeon when needed – and that is the very definition of lack of access to surgical care.
