Rhoda L. Ross-Williams

1. Independent Researcher and Consultant

Abstract

America has a shortage of doctors, nurses, and health care supplies. Covid 19 prove there is a need for a rapid holistic solution to end the shortages. Therefore, any politician that wants to create a healthcare for all act need to holistically review the current shortages in America’s healthcare system. This will require collaboration of medical professionals, politicians, and vendors to create a plan that is life saving and not life threatening.

The Shortage of Medical Providers Is Life Threatening

Healthcare is a very medical and political matter that impacts everyone. The pandemic of COVID 19 is the best real time example of how medicine and politics must collaborate to address the shortage of medical providers. The shortage of medical providers is not a new problem yet a growing problem in America, as everyone demands healthcare for all. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to highlight three major issues: patient to doctor ratio shortage, nurse to patient ratio shortage, and medical supply shortages. These three major issues will cause the lost of many lives if the current provider shortage continues when healthcare for all occurs.

Shortage of Doctors

The topic of healthcare for all in America requires a holistic assessment on shortage of doctors. A growing shortage of medical doctors is a topic Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) in 2011 reported a 17 722 shortage of primary care providers in the United States of America [1].This growing shortage requires an effective solution. HRSA made a prediction that in 2020, the United States of America may face shortages of 45 400 primary care physicians and 46 100 medical specialists [1].Therefore, this is a prediction of a total shortage of 91 500 doctors in 2020 requiring more new medical school graduates.

The pandemic of Covid 19 is showing America how life threatening a shortage of medical doctors is to patient care. Zhang et al. [1] research provides data on the shortages regionally and per state.The shortages are worse than the predictions of HRSA because there are not enough students enrolling and graduating from medical school [1].This is a very serious health risk for all Americans if there is a Healthcare for All Act because there is also a shortage of nurses. Therefore, the provider shortage in America includes nurses as well.

Shortage of Nurses

When America passes, a Healthcare for All Act there will be more need for nurses especially in medical facilities. Nurses are in high demand and shortage of registered nurses (RNa) is increasing from 3 million to 3.9 million by 2029 [2]. Again, Covid 19 is all the proof any opposition needs to rescind their statements that there is no life threatening shortage of nurses. Therefore, the time has come for a holistic solution to end the nursing shortage. Medical facilities know their patients’ care requires nursing to complete the doctors inpatient orders and in some cases if not done the patient could die. This is an issue that Covid 19 made very visible to everyone during the pandemic along with a major medical supply shortage.

The issue of medical supplies shortages is obvious because of COVID 19.President Trump took rapid actions with his Executive Powers to provide medical supplies to America and the world. The reality that the supply chain in America is in need of some major adjustments is undeniable. Therefore, adding more patients to a healthcare system that has many shortages is a health risk. The risks is even greater for the intellectually disabled within the disability community. They are at the greatest threat because they cannot advocate for themselves or understand their illnesses [3].

Conclusion

Quality healthcare in America is not possible if there are shortages of medical doctors, nurses, and medical supplies. Therefore, the strain on the healthcare system becomes life threatening by increasing the number of patients. The doctor, nurses, and supply vendors shortages are increasing and the solution is not a partisan political issue it is an American people’s issue. This is why the medical professionals and politicians should work as a team to create an effective solution. In conclusion, Covid 19 is the best audit of the shortage of doctors, nurses and medical supply in America before passing healthcare for all.

References

1. Zhang X, Lin D, Pforsich H, et al. Physician workforce in the United States of America: forecasting nationwide shortages. Hum Resour Health. 2020; 18 (8). doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-0448-3

2. Rossetter R. Fact Sheet: Nursing Shortage. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 2020. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information-fact-sheets/nursing-shortage

3. Sappok T, Diefenbacher A, Winterholler M. The Medical Care of People With Intellectual Disability. Deutsches Aerzteblatt Int. 2019; 116(48): 809–816. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2019.0809

Received: October 05, 2021;
Accepted: October 21, 2021;
Published: October 26, 2021.

To cite this article : Ross-Williams RL. The Shortage of Medical Providers Is a Pandemic. Health Education and Public Health. 2021; 4:3.

© 2021 Ross-Williams RL.