Healthcare Workforce Shortages in Connecticut

Topic:
DENTISTS; ELDERLY; LEGISLATION; MEDICAL CARE; MEDICAL PERSONNEL; PHYSICIANS; STATISTICAL INFORMATION; TRAINING PROGRAMS;
Location:
MEDICAL PERSONNEL;

OLR Research Report


September 1, 2006		2006-R-0546
HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES IN CONNECTICUT

By: John Kasprak, Senior Attorney

You asked for information on healthcare workforce shortages in Connecticut.

SUMMARY

Well-documented healthcare workforce shortages have existed in Connecticut for a number of years according to the Department of Public Health (DPH; see “Toward Solving Connecticut's Health Care Workforce Shortages,” DPH, May 2002). While such shortages are not new to the state, DPH notes that the nature of shortages varies by discipline. In the past, nursing shortages have been cyclical. For other disciplines, current shortages have developed through a gradual process as the increase in supply does not meet the increase in demand.

Demand for health care services is steadily increasing due to an aging population and advances in medical technology. Also, the health care provider population itself is aging. Other career opportunities now compete with health care professions.

Training programs in a number of healthcare disciplines are achieving full enrollment (e. g. , pharmacy, nursing), while others (respiratory therapy, radiation technology) are not. All health professional training programs are experiencing a significant rise in the student attrition rate, according to DPH. This is attributed to lack of academic preparation, competing demands of job and family responsibilities, and finances.

Connecticut is expected to have the second greatest decline nationally in the supply of nurses over the next few years and needs to expand nursing education and training programs.

CONNECTICUT AND NATIONAL DATA ON THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE

All of the information that follows in this section derives from statehealthfacts. org of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Physicians

In 2004, there were over 820,000 nonfederal physicians in the United States. Of these, 12,918 were in Connecticut. The rate of physicians per 100,000 population in the state was 369 as compared to the U. S. average of 281, ranking Connecticut fifth nationally among the states and U. S. territories. Connecticut's physician population was roughly 70% male, 30% female. Of the total state physician population, 56% were white, 9% Asian, 2% black, 2% Hispanic, and 2% Native American.

In Connecticut, 38% of its total physicians were classified as primary care physicians ranking it 45^th among the states. The national average was 40%. The state's primary care physicians can be further classified as (1) internal medicine-52% (37% national average), (2) family practice-12% (29%), (3) pediatrics-19% (18%), (4) obstetrics/gynecology-5% (12%), and (5) general practice-1% (5%).

The following tables provide more information on all 50 states and national averages in various physician categories.

Table 1 Number of Nonfederal Physicians, 2004

Rank		Total Nonfederal Physicians
	United States	821,911
1	California	93,791
2	New York	77,062
3	Texas	49,170
4	Florida	44,921
5	Pennsylvania	41,223
6	Illinois	36,169
7	Ohio	33,158
8	Michigan	29,188
9	Massachusetts	28,970
10	New Jersey	28,944
11	Maryland	21,602
12	North Carolina	21,522
13	Virginia	19,726
14	Georgia	19,371
15	Washington	16,485
16	Tennessee	15,447
17	Missouri	15,350
18	Wisconsin	14,421
19	Minnesota	14,412
20	Indiana	13,825
21	Arizona	12,934
22	*Connecticut*	*12,918*
23	Colorado	12,343
24	Louisiana	11,820
25	Alabama	9,763
26	South Carolina	9,687
27	Oregon	9,665
28	Kentucky	9,660
29	Oklahoma	7,231
30	Iowa	6,445
31	Kansas	6,442
32	Arkansas	5,645
33	Mississippi	5,289
34	Utah	5,134
35	West Virginia	4,604
36	Nevada	4,570
37	New Mexico	4,538
38	Nebraska	4,237
39	District of Columbia	4,160
40	Maine	3,983
41	Rhode Island	3,902
42	Hawaii	3,809
43	New Hampshire	3,474
44	Idaho	2,445
45	Vermont	2,258
46	Delaware	2,255
47	Montana	2,074
48	South Dakota	1,671
49	North Dakota	1,547
50	Alaska	1,424
51	Wyoming	966

	Puerto Rico	9,885
	Guam	218
	Virgin Islands	158

Notes: U. S. total includes territories.

Nonfederal physicians are not employed by the federal government and include medical doctors and osteopaths. They represent 98% of total physicians.

Table 2: Rate of Nonfederal Physicians

per 100,000 Population, 2004

Rank		Nonfederal Physicians per 100,000 Population
	United States	281
1	District of Columbia	752
2	Massachusetts	451
3	New York	401
4	Maryland	389
5	*Connecticut*	*369*
6	Vermont	363
7	Rhode Island	361
8	New Jersey	333
9	Pennsylvania	332
10	Hawaii	302
10	Maine	302
12	Michigan	289
12	Ohio	289
14	Illinois	284
15	Minnesota	283
16	Delaware	272
17	Oregon	269
18	Colorado	268
19	Missouri	267
19	New Hampshire	267
21	Washington	266
22	Virginia	264
23	Louisiana	262
23	Tennessee	262
23	Wisconsin	262
26	California	261
27	Florida	258
28	West Virginia	254
29	North Carolina	252
30	North Dakota	244
31	Nebraska	243
32	New Mexico	238
33	Kansas	235
34	Kentucky	233
35	South Carolina	231
36	Arizona	225
37	Montana	224
38	Indiana	222
39	Georgia	219
39	Texas	219
41	Iowa	218
42	Alaska	217
42	South Dakota	217
44	Alabama	216
45	Utah	215
46	Arkansas	205
46	Oklahoma	205
48	Nevada	196
49	Wyoming	191
50	Mississippi	182
51	Idaho	175

	Puerto Rico	254

Notes: U. S. total includes territories.

Nonfederal physicians are not employed by the federal government and include medical doctors and osteopaths. They represent 98% of total physicians.

Table 3: Nonfederal Primary Care Physicians as a Percent of Total Physicians, 2004

Rank		Nonfederal Primary Care Physicians
	United States	40%
1	Alaska	49%
2	Wyoming	47%
3	North Dakota	46%
4	South Dakota	45%
5	Idaho	44%
5	Iowa	44%
5	Maine	44%
5	West Virginia	44%
9	Arkansas	43%
9	Hawaii	43%
9	Illinois	43%
9	Nebraska	43%
9	Oklahoma	43%
14	Alabama	42%
14	Georgia	42%
14	Kansas	42%
14	Minnesota	42%
14	Mississippi	42%
14	Nevada	42%
14	New Mexico	42%
14	Oregon	42%
14	Vermont	42%
14	Washington	42%
14	Wisconsin	42%
25	Colorado	41%
25	Indiana	41%
25	Michigan	41%
25	Montana	41%
25	New Hampshire	41%
25	South Carolina	41%
25	Virginia	41%
32	Arizona	40%
32	California	40%
32	Kentucky	40%
32	New Jersey	40%
32	Ohio	40%
32	Rhode Island	40%
32	Tennessee	40%
32	Texas	40%
40	Delaware	39%
40	Missouri	39%
40	New York	39%
40	North Carolina	39%
40	Utah	39%
45	*Connecticut*	*38%*
45	Florida	38%
45	Louisiana	38%
45	Pennsylvania	38%
49	Maryland	37%
50	District of Columbia	36%
51	Massachusetts	35%

	Guam	58%
	Puerto Rico	48%
	Virgin Islands	43%

Notes: Nonfederal physicians are not employed by the federal government and include medical doctors and osteopaths. They represent 98% of total physicians.

Definitions: Primary care physician specialties include Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and General Practice.

Table 4: Distribution of Nonfederal Primary Care Physicians

by Field, 2004

	Internal Medicine	Family Practice	Pediatrics	Obstetrics/ Gynecology	General Practice	Total Primary Care
United States	37%	29%	18%	12%	5%	100%

Alabama	35%	32%	17%	13%	4%	100%
Alaska	18%	52%	14%	10%	7%	100%
Arizona	34%	32%	17%	12%	5%	100%
Arkansas	21%	48%	15%	10%	7%	100%
California	37%	26%	19%	12%	5%	100%
Colorado	29%	39%	16%	12%	3%	100%
*Connecticut*	*52%*	*12%*	*19%*	*15%*	1%	*100%*
Delaware	30%	33%	21%	13%	4%	100%
District of Columbia	49%	12%	24%	14%	2%	100%
Florida	35%	28%	19%	12%	8%	100%
Georgia	34%	27%	19%	16%	4%	100%
Hawaii	39%	21%	20%	15%	5%	100%
Idaho	20%	54%	10%	12%	5%	100%
Illinois	41%	26%	17%	12%	3%	100%
Indiana	26%	43%	14%	12%	5%	100%
Iowa	21%	53%	13%	8%	5%	100%
Kansas	26%	45%	13%	11%	5%	100%
Kentucky	32%	34%	17%	12%	5%	100%
Louisiana	35%	26%	19%	15%	5%	100%
Maine	28%	45%	14%	10%	4%	100%
Maryland	47%	15%	23%	13%	2%	100%
Massachusetts	55%	12%	21%	10%	2%	100%
Michigan	36%	31%	15%	12%	5%	100%
Minnesota	29%	46%	14%	9%	2%	100%
Mississippi	28%	35%	16%	15%	6%	100%
Missouri	36%	28%	17%	12%	6%	100%
Montana	24%	49%	11%	11%	5%	100%
Nebraska	25%	49%	14%	10%	2%	100%
Nevada	39%	29%	14%	13%	5%	100%
New Hampshire	33%	35%	17%	13%	2%	100%
New Jersey	44%	16%	23%	13%	3%	100%
New Mexico	30%	39%	17%	10%	4%	100%
New York	50%	14%	22%	13%	2%	100%
North Carolina	33%	33%	18%	14%	2%	100%
North Dakota	28%	50%	10%	7%	5%	100%
Ohio	36%	30%	18%	12%	4%	100%
Oklahoma	25%	43%	13%	10%	7%	100%
Oregon	36%	33%	15%	12%	4%	100%
Pennsylvania	38%	31%	16%	11%	4%	100%
Rhode Island	48%	18%	21%	11%	3%	100%
South Carolina	27%	38%	17%	14%	4%	100%
South Dakota	28%	49%	8%	10%	5%	100%
Tennessee	36%	30%	17%	13%	4%	100%