The U.S. is facing a projected shortage of 28,000 surgeons by 2038—and rural communities are being hit the hardest. Here’s what’s driving the lack of surgical coverage, and how locums can help.

Demand for surgical care is growing, but the number of practicing surgeons isn’t increasing at the same rate. 

The United States is facing an increasing demand for surgical services, with surgical volumes projected to grow by 2-3% per year over the next decade. The increase in demand is in part due to the aging population—1 in 3 surgical care patients are aged 65 years or older—and in part due to higher rates of cancer and chronic cardiovascular diseases that require surgical care.

But current workforce projections aren’t prepared to meet the demand. The American College of Surgeons presented a study at their annual meeting that projects that the supply of surgeons will drop by 4.2% by 2038, while the demand for surgical care increases by 12.8%—over triple that number.

Shortages are expected to hit the following specialties hardest:

  • Vascular Surgery: only 65.8% of the projected need will be filled by the projected amount of surgeons;
  • Ophthalmology: only 71.8% of the projected need will be filled by the projected amount of surgeons;
  • Thoracic Surgery: only 73.1% of the projected need will be filled by the projected amount of surgeons;
  • Plastic Surgery: only 73.1% of the projected need will be filled by the projected amount of surgeons;

The increasing demand for surgical care is causing strain on an already small surgical workforce. According to the most recent American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Comparison Report, 43.8% of surgeons are struggling with burnout, with 35.3% of general surgeons reporting that they intend to leave their facility within the next two years.

Surgeon shortages hit rural communities the hardest.

While there are over 30,000 surgeons in the U.S., that workforce isn’t currently divided equally across the nation. Some counties—like Rochester, MN, where the Mayo Clinic is located, have 250 surgeons per 100,000 people, while others have only 20. 

And some counties have no surgeons at all. 38% of rural counties don’t have a general surgeon, and 30% of counties have no surgeon in any specialty. That amounts to a staggering 15.1 million people without access to surgical care, and over 400 hospitals with no full-time surgeon.

This is especially alarming considering the essential role that surgeons  play in rural communities. Without a surgeon, patients in the E.R. may not be able to access life-saving care—or they may have to be transferred hundreds of miles away to receive it, reducing their chances of survival. Surgeons also play a critical role in diagnostic procedures—which means patients may face delays in diagnosis that will result in poorer health outcomes when surgical services aren’t available.

Locums can help bridge the surgical care gap.

The surgeon shortage is a complex challenge that demands a multi-faceted response, and locums plays a crucial role. While healthcare organizations work toward long-term workforce solutions, locum tenens provides immediate support by helping facilities maintain surgical coverage and patient access to care.

Hiring for surgical roles can often take months, creating disruptions for hospitals and delays for patients who need timely care. Locums helps facilities provide quality surgical care without interruption while they are recruiting permanent surgeons. 

By bringing in locums surgeons, hospitals can keep their service lines open and their waitlists shorter, so that patients can still get the care they need.