Iowa Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags patient demand nationally and across Iowa. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-1.png)
The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-2.png)
Idaho is projected to be short 1,660 doctors by 2030.
- Primary care alone is projected to be short 119 providers.5
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Iowa-HPSAs.png)
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Iowa-ranking-stats.png)
Iowa ranks in the bottom half of states in the country in availability of primary care doctors and for physician supply overall.4
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/30-percent-decrease-US.png)
Iowa’s physician-to-patient ratio is 30 percent worse than the national average.
80% worse for emergency medicine
79% worse in geriatric medicine
90% worse in internal medicine
63% worse in pediatrics
72% worse in psychiatry
Louisiana Physician Shortage Facts