The story of Florida’s doctor shortage can be told succinctly with a handful of revealing numbers. HealthyState.org took a snapshot of a few of the statistics. Take a peek at these eye-opening digits.
17
The number of Florida counties that have 1 or fewer pediatricians
23
The number of Florida counties that have 1 or fewer OB/GYNs
9,096
The surplus of physicians in Florida
1,951
The shortage of physicians in Florida caused by the uneven distribution of doctors throughout the state
3%
Percentage of Florida’s doctors that practice in rural areas
46th
Florida’s rank in the nation for serving rural areas
343%
The rise in employment in the health care sector between 1970-2009
23
The number of jobs created by just 1 primary care physician in a rural comunity
$900,000
The annual wages, salaries and benefits generated from those 23 jobs created by 1 doctor
9
The number of medical colleges in Florida
299
The number of licensed hospitals in Florida.
40
The number of hospitals with residency programs.
Sources: National Center for the Analysis of Healthcare Data, National Center for Rural Health Works, Florida Department of Health, Florida’s Office of the Governor