County-Level Analysis of the Health Impact of Black Physicians in Georgia

Despite the longstanding underrepresentation of Black physicians in the U.S., greater representation of Black physicians in the physician workforce can positively impact health outcomes. In Georgia, racial and ethnic health inequities are prevalent, and physician workforce shortages are acute. This study aims to assess the impact of Black physician representation on three health outcomes: Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) before age 75 and hospital discharges and emergency room visits related to chronic Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Data sources included a survey administered by the Georgia Composite Medical Board and the Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS) to analyze county-level outcomes for non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) populations from 2016 to 2019 and 2020 to 2022. We used linear regression models to assess the association between Black physician representativeness in the county physician workforce and NHB-NHW disparities in the outcome measures. We found that counties with higher Black physician representativeness experienced better health outcomes for both NHB and NHW populations, with reduced racial disparities in hospital discharges and YPLL, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study underscores the importance of increasing Black physician representation in the workforce to advance health equity in Georgia.