Why the needs for rural and Native American physicians are interconnected

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By The DO Staff

11.18.21

The American health care system continues to struggle with physician workforce shortages. These shortages manifest in several ways. First, with a growing and aging population, we simply need more physicians. Second, there is longstanding maldistribution of our physician resources to larger cities and metropolitan areas that leaves many rural communities without adequate care. Third, we continue to see significant underrepresentation of many minority groups in the physician workforce despite our determined focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.