New Mexico’s Increasing Physician Shortage
New Mexico is facing a healthcare workforce shortage overall and in key specialties including primary care, OB-GYN, general surgery, and psychiatry. All these specialties have seen decreases in the total number of physicians since 2013 with an even more marked decline since 2017 indicating a progressively worsening problem.
In a growing state like New Mexico, even a stagnant number of physicians would mean a decrease in the number of available physicians per capita. A decreasing number is a significant problem, especially considering the number of physicians was already below the national average in several counties in 2013.
