Physician Workforce in Kansas: Where are the Orthopedic Surgeons?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery Workforce Analysis
• Rural Health Disparities
• Healthcare Access

Background:

• Rural populations face greater orthopedic surgical care needs but have limited access compared to urban counterparts.
• Existing research on rural surgical care lacks a specific focus on the orthopedic surgery workforce composition and changes over time in Kansas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in the Kansas orthopedic surgery workforce between 2009 and 2019.
• To identify trends in workforce distribution based on rurality.
• To inform future strategies for orthopedic surgeon workforce composition.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2009 and 2019 AMA MasterFile and Area Health Resource File (AHRF) data.
• Calculation of orthopedic surgeons per capita using Rural Urban Continuum Codes to define rurality.
• Assessment of workforce changes through frequencies, percentages, and comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• The Kansas orthopedic surgery workforce grew by 47.9% between 2009 and 2019.
• Rural (non-metro) counties consistently had a lower proportion of orthopedic surgeons compared to urban (metro) counties.
• While orthopedic surgeons per capita increased statewide, the growth was less pronounced in rural areas. The number of women in orthopedic surgery remained low, with none in non-metro counties.

Conclusions:

• The Kansas orthopedic surgery workforce expanded from 2009 to 2019, yet rural areas continue to experience a significant deficit in orthopedic surgeons per capita, termed a 'surgery desert'.
• Further research is needed to ascertain if this trend is mirrored in other rural states and to explore effective strategies for attracting orthopedic surgeons to rural practice.