The urology shortage isn’t just coming—it’s already here. Urology is in high demand and healthcare facilities are feeling the pinch—especially in rural areas.
Below, we’ll dig into the urology shortage, the limitations of traditional staffing strategies, and solutions like locum tenens that can offer a staffing lifeline to facilities that need it.
The urology shortage by the numbers
The urology shortage is affecting healthcare facilities and patients all over the nation. Over 60% of counties in the US have no practicing urologist—leaving many patients without access to essential care.
This is particularly true of rural areas. Patients in underserved communities have no option other than to travel hours or wait weeks—sometimes months—for basic urological care.
Hospitals in rural settings also rely on urologists to sustain their service lines in trauma centers—which means that if hospitals aren’t able to keep their urology services staffed, their trauma certification may be in jeopardy.
This shortage didn’t happen overnight. It was caused by a variety of factors:
- Aging workforce: The median age for urologists is 55, and about 30% of the workforce is 65 or older—which means that many of them are reaching retirement age.
- Aging patient populations: The number of patients who are 80 years or older is projected to triple worldwide in the next 30 years. As patients age, they require more urology care—just as the supply of urologists is decreasing.
- Limited residency spots: There were only 403 urology residency positions available in 2025, which makes it harder to get more urologists into the pipeline. These limited spots are directly impacted by the number of attending physicians available to teach and train residents.
Given the pressing levels of the urologist shortage, healthcare facilities must find creative ways to preserve access to care for their communities by reimagining their staffing strategies.
The limitations of traditional staffing models
Traditional staffing models in urology depend on a steady pipeline of new specialists. But this becomes difficult when the pipeline starts to slow. Only about 350 residents graduate from urology residency each year in the US—nowhere near enough to replace retiring urologists, let alone meet the growing demand in our healthcare facilities.
The lack of urologists entering the field has created significant challenges for hospital staffing teams—which is exacerbated by factors like:
- Increased workload & stress: The physician shortage has led to increased caseloads, which contribute to feelings of stress and burnout. In addition, traditional hospital schedules aren’t flexible enough to accommodate other priorities—causing many physicians to look elsewhere for work-life balance.
- Economic factors: The ballooning levels of medical school debt often leads new urologists to seek out higher-paying positions, which tend to be in urban areas—further concentrating the workforce.
While the urologist shortage isn’t going away, looking outside of traditional recruiting methods and exploring new staffing solutions can help.
Locum tenens could be your staffing solution
When traditional staffing isn’t meeting your facility’s needs, locums can help.
Over 90% of healthcare facilities in the US rely on locum tenens to fill coverage gaps left by the physician shortage. Locums can help healthcare facilities provide consistent care and keep their trauma centers open—especially in rural and underserved areas where it can be difficult to find urology coverage.
Aside from addressing gaps in the urology shortage, locums can also bring a level of experience and adaptability to facilities that may have a smaller pool of resources compared to their urban counterparts.
Here are some other ways locums can support your facility’s staffing:
- Mitigating burnout: By providing temporary relief, locums can help reduce the workload of permanent staff—which can help improve employee retention.
- Reduced administrative burden: Hayes Locums handles the details of locum placement, including licensing, travel, and accommodation arrangements—freeing up your team to continue the search for permanent providers
By embracing innovative solutions like locum tenens, healthcare facilities can ensure that their patients receive the care they need, when they need it.
The urology shortage demands creative solutions. Locum tenens offers a flexible answer, ensuring patients don’t have to wait to receive crucial urology care. By embracing locums, healthcare facilities can bridge staffing gaps to provide quality care for all.
