Georgia Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags patient demand nationally and across Georgia. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
By 2030:
The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.1,2,4
- Nearly 40% of American physicians will reach retirement age.
- The United States will face a shortage of over 120,000 physicians.
- 32.9% of Georgia’s physicians are within retirement range right now.
Georgia is projected to be short 8,012 doctors.2,3
- Primary care alone is projected to be short 2,099 providers.
Overall, Georgia ranks in the bottom half of states for primary care and physician supply availability.4
142 of Georgia’s 159 counties are health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).5,6
- Low-income citizens are disproportionately affected by these shortages.
- HPSA designations indicate areas where there are 3,500 or more patients for every one provider.
Georgia’s physician-to-patient ratio is 23 percent worse than the national average.
27% worse
for emergency medicine
28% worse
for familiy medicine
67% worse
in pediatric critical care
39% worse
in psychiatry
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