Aureus Medical discusses the healthcare staffing shortage

Omaha, NE (January 14, 2016) - By now, the general public is aware of the healthcare staffing shortage. However, what they may not know is how pressing the situation really is. Healthcare staffing agency Aureus Medical Group shares information on the staffing shortage facing travel nurses, physicians, and more.

Jim P. Stimpson, director of the Center for Health Policy at the University of Nebraska, stressed the crisis in a May New York Times article. "The situation could be viewed as an emergency, especially in rural counties," Stimpson said.

Here is a breakdown of the staffing shortage today and what it means for you as a travel nurse, nurse practitioner, physician or other healthcare professional.

One of the key factors in the healthcare staffing shortage is the increased number of adults over 65 years old that need medical care.

What is the healthcare staffing shortage?The healthcare staffing shortage is a shortage of medical professionals in the healthcare system. This means that there are not enough nurses and physicians, among others, to address and care for the needs of the U.S.

According to U.S. News & World Report, this deficiency is a result of multiple factors: an aging population, healthcare reform and a physician workforce shortage.

"The doctor shortage is real, it's significant and it's particularly serious for the kind of medical care that our aging population is going to need," Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, Association of American Medical Colleges President and CEO, said in a press release.

Specifically, these shortages near the tens of thousands. A 2015 report led by the AAMC revealed that the U.S. will likely see a shortage of 46,000 to 90,000 physicians by 2025. The projected shortage of primary care physicians by 2025 is 12,500 to 31,000, and the shortage of surgeons and specialists will near 28,200 to 68,700. The study was the first of its kind, as it considered demographics and recent healthcare reform (care, delivery and payment methods).

"The trends from these data are clear — the physician shortage will grow over the next 10 years under every likely scenario," Dr. Kirch said. "Because training a doctor takes between five and 10 years, we must act now, in 2015, if we are going to avoid serious physician shortages in 2025."

Doctors, physicians and surgeons are not the only healthcare professionals in demand. The need for nurse practitioners is expected to grow 35 percent (44,700 jobs) between 2014 and 2024. The job outlook for registered nurses is projected to increase 16 percent, or 439,300 additional jobs, between 2014 and 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Where are the areas affected by the healthcare staffing shortage?Rural areas are most affected by the healthcare staffing shortage because of their lack of healthcare providers and distance from medical care. However, remote areas are not the only places in need. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration said that as of June 2014, there are 6,100 areas that have a primary care health professional shortage, 4,900 areas that have a dental care shortage and 4,000 areas that have a mental health care provider shortage.

Read more to learn about solutions to the healthcare staffing shortage.

About Aureus Medical Group:

Aureus Medical Group is a national leader in healthcare staffing specializing in the successful placement of Nursing, Advanced Practice, Cardiopulmonary, Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Laboratory, Neurodiagnostics, Radiation Oncology, and Rehabilitation Therapy professionals, as well as Physicians, in hospitals and medical facilities nationwide.  With more than 30 years of experience, Aureus Medical offers a full range of staffing options, including national contract (travel), local contract, and direct hire.  Aureus Medical is the largest affiliate of Omaha-based C&A Industries, a leading provider of human capital management solutions for more than 45 years.