Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) According to the Bureau of Health Workforce, the United States faces a shortage of physicians. (2) A 2016 study entitled Supply and Demand of General Surgeons: Projections From 2014–2030, prepared by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the American College of Surgeons, found that the supply of general surgeons will grow slightly by 2030 but will not keep up with overall growth in the United States population or demand for surgical services. (3) A 2021 report released by the Association of American Medical Colleges projects shortages in all surgical specialties of between 15,800 and 30,200 surgeons by 2034. (4) A 2020 report prepared by the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate found a maldistribution of general surgeons nationwide, with rural areas having only 69 percent of the general surgeons needed to meet demand for care. (5) In order to accurately prepare for future physician workforce demands, comprehensive, impartial research and high-quality data are needed to inform dynamic projections of physician workforce needs. (6) A variety of factors, including health outcomes, utilization trends, growing and aging populations, and delivery system changes, influence workforce needs and should be considered as part of flexible projections of workforce needs. (7) Given the particularly acute needs in many rural and other surgical workforce shortage areas, additional efforts to assess the adequacy of the current general surgeon workforce are necessary.