Members of the UTMB vascular surgery team recently published a quantitative research review on vascular surgeon shortages in rural and urban areas. The manuscript “Characterizing the geographic distribution of vascular surgeons in the United States” was co-authored by Dr. Michael Silva. It states, “In 2018, the U.S. population was 309.8 million, and there were 3145 counties. Of the 3145 counties, 533 (17%) had had a practicing vascular surgeon. The combined population of these counties was 213.8 million people (69% of the U.S. population).” Their study showed that urban and rural areas are disproportionately affected by the shortage of vascular surgeons, and the research team recommended investing in telehealth while building patient transfer systems in order to provide accessible and comprehensive vascular care for patients throughout the United States.

View the research manuscript here