Urology Workforce Shortage

Did you know there was a shortage of urologists in the United States? The American Urological Association recognizes that there is a growing national shortage. This deficit is compounded by an aging U.S. population that will require more urologic care. The 65 and older population will comprise 17% of our population by 2020.

The projected number of urologists needed to meet the population needs in 2020 is 16,000. The number of practicing urologist in 2016 was 10,954. Over 50% of the urologists are currently over the age of 52. The projected number of practicing urologists will decrease to 7500 by 2020.

Compounding the workforce shortages are the challenges facing urology graduate medical education. There are currently 295 residency spots per year. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 capped Medicare residency funding which means that money is one of the limiting factors affecting addition of any new residency spots. This issue applies to all surgical specialties.

Our mission at Dayton Physicians Network Urology is to provide you with the highest quality personalized urologic care in southwest Ohio. We currently see patients from 11 surrounding counties with a population of 1,762,366 people. We are fortunate to have 7 urologists and 5 specialized trained urology advanced practice providers to carry out our mission.

The manpower shortage does create some issues with wait times. Over 50% of our patients have complex medical problems or cancer and there is no way to predict a patient’s needs when they schedule an appointment. This means that not everyone fits into a 15-minute slot. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we try to care for our community’s urologic needs.

If you have any questions please ask for our Operations Manager. We wish all of you the best of health!