From the cover
Meeting demand for doctors
The big picture
Texas's primary care shortage The state’s shortage of primary care physicians is projected to continue until at least 2036.
40K
30K
In May, the rst class of 69 students graduated from SHSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, with 62% of those graduates pursuing primary care specialties and 58% of those graduates staying in Texas, Mohr said. “Both of those [percentages] really speak to the ‘why’ that we’re talking about,” Mohr said. In San Jacinto County, immediately northeast of Montgomery County, three primary care physicians serve a population of 29,559— meaning there are 9,853 people to each physician, according to 2023 data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Statewide, Texas is grappling with a shortage of primary care physicians, according to the Health Professions Resource Center at the Texas Department of State Health Services. By 2036, there will be 21,815 doctors but a need for 37,919 doctors—meaning the unmet demand for primary care physicians across the state will reach 42%. Meanwhile, the U.S. will face a primary care physician shortage of between 20,000-40,400 physicians by 2036, according to a March 2024 report by the Association of American Medical Colleges. “We are looking at substantial shortages of doctors that will not meet our future health care demands,” AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton said in a March 21 news release. “Further, if we succeed in improving access to care for our growing and aging population, which we very much hope to do, then the workforce shortages will be even larger than projected in this report.”
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42%
37%
Supply Demand Unmet demand
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0
2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 2032 2034 2036
2036 demand projections
Local breakdown
By 2036, all of the state’s public health regions are projected to have an unmet primary care physician demand of at least 35%. 60%
Montgomery County
Population: 672,131 Physicians: 615 Physicians per 100K population: 91.5 Rank: 24 out of 254 counties
1 Rio Grande Valley: 58%
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2 East Texas: 52%
San Jacinto County
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Population: 29,559 Physicians: 3 Physicians per 100K population: 10.1 Rank: 207 out of 254 counties
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3 North Texas: 46% 4 Panhandle: 43%
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5 Gulf Coast: 39%
Harris County
8 South Texas: 35% 6 Central Texas & 7 West Texas: 37%
Population: 5,258,527 Physicians: 4,814 Physicians per 100K population: 91.5 Rank: 23 out of 254 counties
30%
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES COMMUNITY IMPACT
What else?
“We are seeing the first group of graduates in 2024, so the connection to our residency programs at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe and other HCA Houston Healthcare facilities is important,” he said. Mohr said the college also has a family medicine residency program with Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Additionally, SHSU recently announced a clinical partnership with OakBend Medical Center and the Ibn Sina Foundation to train third and fourth year medical students in Fort Bend County, according to a March 12 news release. “We’re hoping to launch in 2025, but starting residency programs ... [it] has to go through a whole bunch of hoops to get it accredited and ready to go,” Mohr said.
HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe partners with Physician Services to provide nearly 40 doctors and extended providers, CEO Matt Davis said in an email. “The immense growth in North Montgomery County continues to grow opportunities for new doctors and health care professionals of all kinds,” Davis said. Davis said the hospital is “extremely excited” about SHSU and its medical school. “Their commitment to advancing health care and addressing the need for medical professionals is vital to the future of provider care,” he said. SHSU students complete portions of their clini- cal rotation requirements with local physicians at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, Davis said.
"With the attention our region has as a great place to practice medicine, connecting our local graduates with local residency
options assists in the future growth of our community- based doctors and professionals." MATT DAVIS, CEO, HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE CONROE
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