First few Article Sentences
Gauging physician supply in a health system and its community is never straightforward. But for hospitals and health systems trying to ensure they don’t get caught short, it’s important to look well beyond the numbers to determine the local dynamics of supply and demand.
Consider, for example, a hospital that has two neurosurgeons on staff who fill most of the operating room schedule with their patients’ procedures. The CEO presumes that the surgeons meet the regional demand for services. In fact, that’s not the case. One neurosurgeon plans to relocate, and has been reducing her volume as she explores practice opportunities. This crisis in the making comes to light only when, after a hospital committee meeting, two medical staff members report that they refer patients to other communities because the neurosurgeon isn’t taking patients.