Study: Many U.S. metros facing OB-GYN shortages; Providence MSA is not one of them

PROVIDENCE – A study of birth rates and the prevalence of obstetricians and gynecologists has come to the conclusion that there are many major metropolitan areas in the United States in danger of a shortage of physicians dedicated to women’s health.

Doximity is a network of physicians and advanced practice clinicians based in San Francisco. It looked at birth rates as well as the number and age of OB-GYNs in the 50 largest U.S. metro areas. At the same time, according to Doximity, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that there will be 6,000-8,800 fewer OB-GYNs than needed by 2020, and as many as 22,000 fewer by 2050.

PBN Branded Content

Building a Strong Data Foundation in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key priority in the boardroom and across management —…

Learn More

By combining data on the age of OB-GYNs in a region as well as the number of births per physician, Doximity has created an index that ranks each region for the risk it faces for an OB-GYN shortage in the near future. Providence ranked 34^th on that list, meaning that it is less likely to face a shortage than 33 other major metros. Las Vegas was identified as the metro most likely to face an OB-GYN shortage, while Portland, Ore., was the least likely. Boston ranked No. 35 on the list, one behind (and less likely to face a shortage than) Providence.

One reason for Providence’s relatively good ranking is its low ratio of births per physician. At 81.15, it is well below the national average of 105.37 per OB-GYN. That low birth rate offsets the age of OB-GYNs in the region. Thirty-five and ninety-four one-hundredths percent of OB-GYNs in the Providence metro at older than 55, while 50 percent are 40-55. Fourteen and six one-hundredths percent are younger than 40 in the region. Those percentages compare with national averages of 37.03 percent (older than 55), 48.62 percent (40-55), and 14.35 percent (younger than 40).

Doximity noted that OB-GYNs retire have the second-highest burn-out rate of all physicians save emergency room doctors, and the unpredictable nature of childbirth leads OB-BYNs to retire earlier than many physicians in other specialties.