Practice Economics

U.S. physician population grew fastest in South Atlantic region


 

FROM THE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL REGULATION

The U.S. South Atlantic states’ growth rate of 10.4% gave that region the fastest-growing population of physicians in the United States between 2010 and 2012, according to data from the Federation of State Medical Boards.

The South Atlantic also had the largest physician population of any census division in 2012 – 163,319 (18.6%) of the 878,194 doctors with an active license, said Aaron Young, Ph.D., of the FSMB in Euless, Tex., and his associates (J. Med. Regul. 2013;99:11-24).

Of the nine geographic divisions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, five saw their physician population increase, while four experienced decreases from 2010 to 2012. After the South Atlantic, the West South Central region had the second-largest increase, at 9.3%, with the Pacific next at 9.0%. The East North Central (1.9%) and Mountain (0.1%) regions had much smaller increases, the authors reported.

Of the four regions with declines, the West North Central division had the largest decrease, at 5.9%, with New England second, at 5.7%. The Middle Atlantic was down by 2.3%, and the East South Central had a 1.5% decline, Dr. Young and his associates said.

rfranki@frontlinemedcom.com

Recommended Reading

Rate of avoidable heart disease deaths highest in blacks
MDedge Family Medicine
Pertussis vaccination rate highest in Mississippi for 2012-2013
MDedge Family Medicine
FDA announces classwide label changes to extended-release/long-acting opioids
MDedge Family Medicine
Fewer than 1% of doctors mention sunscreen to patients
MDedge Family Medicine
Women’s use of STD-related services up 27% since 2002
MDedge Family Medicine
Sleep aid use reported by 16% of those with sleep disorders
MDedge Family Medicine
Registry-based randomized clinical trials are here
MDedge Family Medicine
Sen. Cardin hears doctors’ concerns on ACA
MDedge Family Medicine
SGR replacement cost now up to $176 billion
MDedge Family Medicine
ACP promotes team-based care with physician leaders
MDedge Family Medicine