Physician Shortage Hits Upstate New York
According to a recent article in The New York Times, fewer and fewer doctors are choosing to practice medicine in upstate New York. Many physicians, who were born and grew up in upstate New York, are drawn to the perks of practicing medicine in Manhattan, such as a higher salary and more prestigious medical centers.
However, this trend of physicians choosing to work in
areas of New York like Manhattan over the upstate region has led to too many
physicians in these areas. For
example, a study conducted by the State
University at Albany School of Public Health’s Center for Health Workforce
Studies found that Essex County in the Adirondacks lost 22 percent of its
doctors, while there was a 19 percent increase in Nassau County, Long Island.
The study also found that the Mohawk Valley already has two-thirds fewer
doctors to choose from than New York City.
Due
to the shortage of physicians in upstate New York, patients are forced to wait
longer for appointments and medical procedures in addition to traveling long
distances to find medical treatment.
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