The U.S. could face a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2034, according to new data released June 11 from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The estimate compares to the association’s 2020 report, which projected a shortage of 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many of the deepest […]

Hospitals and corporate entities such as insurance companies and venture capital firms now own nearly half of U.S. physician practices. Independent physicians are becoming increasingly rare, with just 30% of U.S physicians practicing medicine independently as the year began, according to a new analysis from Avalere for the Physicians Advocacy Institute. The remaining 70% are […]

Most locum tenens physicians and other advanced practice providers working as temporary hires were not deterred by the threat of COVID-19, according to a new survey. Nearly three-fourths (71%) of locum tenens physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), have treated COVID-19 patients, suggesting that locum tenens providers have […]

Even with the adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic, locum tenens physicians are finding ways to reduce the stress on a burdened industry. The shortage of healthcare workers has been a long-standing issue that was further emphasized by the Covid-19 pandemic that put a greater toll on the lives of medical professionals. As a result, […]

When the economy is unstable, as it is now and most likely will be for some time to come, even high-income professionals feel the impact. An economic downturn probably will not mean, as it does for many people, that doctors will have to cut back on essential purchases such as food, clothing, and fuel. But […]

Over the last year, Maryland psychotherapist Kerry Malawista noticed frontline health care workers struggling with what she called “the ghosts of the COVID deaths they carry.” Borrowing the expression from Tim O’Brien’s collection of Vietnam War-era stories, she started The Things They Carry Project, a series of writing workshops for health care workers and first responders. Each session […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on physicians’ overall happiness. Medscape’s 2021 Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report found that before the pandemic 82% of doctors reported being somewhat happy or happy, but in 2020 that number dropped to only 48%. Even more alarming, Medscape’s Physician Burnout and Suicide Report found that 71% of […]

Eighty-five percent of healthcare facilities have used locum tenens in the past year to fill gaps caused by a shortage of physicians, according to a new survey. Hospitals, medical groups, and other healthcare facilities are relying on these temporary physicians, according to the survey from Staff Care, a locum tenens healthcare staffing company. “Virtually every […]

The healthcare industry could see a shortage of up to 15,600 psychiatrists by 2025. The United States has a perpetual mental health need that is hurting rural areas. At any given point, around 44 million U.S. adults suffer from a form of mental illness, with 10 million of those cases being seriously debilitating, according to data […]

The healthcare landscape has been evolving. Facing an aging population, increased access to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, and a growing physician shortage (an estimated 14,900 to 35,600 just in primary care by 2025), healthcare organizations have been looking for ways to increase efficiency and improve the bottom line, while servicing communities of every size. A […]