Primary Care Shortage Impacts Nearly Half of Virginia Neighborhoods, Affecting 3.8 Million Residents

A recent study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University reveals that nearly 44% of Virginia's neighborhoods lack sufficient access to primary care physicians, with rural communities experiencing the most significant shortages. Using anonymized healthcare claims data from 2019, the study identified that this deficit impacts approximately 3.8 million Virginians. The researchers assessed the number of actively practicing primary care providers—including family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics—and analyzed how available capacity aligns with community populations.

The findings highlight that 4,850 primary care physicians served the state in 2019, each caring for an average of 1,368 patients. The study illustrated that geographic and structural factors, especially rural residency, are key predictors of inadequate care access. Rural areas had significantly fewer providers, with capacity roughly 725 patients less compared to suburban regions. These disparities are partly attributed to residency training locations and economic incentives, which favor urban areas.

Interestingly, communities with higher proportions of Black residents showed better access, potentially due to increased placement of healthcare centers like Federally Qualified Health Centers and targeted intervention programs in urban settings.

This shortage poses substantial public health challenges, including higher hospitalization rates, emergency visits, reduced lifespan, and amplified health inequities. As the U.S. faces a projected shortfall of over 55,000 primary care physicians by 2032, addressing these disparities becomes urgent.

Experts emphasize the importance of developing strategies such as expanding rural residency programs and offering loan repayment incentives to bolster the primary care workforce, especially in underserved rural areas. The researchers stress that understanding community-specific barriers is vital to effective intervention and improving healthcare access across Virginia.

This research underscores the critical need for targeted workforce policies to ensure equitable primary care availability, which is fundamental to overall population health.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-primary-shortage-affects-virginia-neighborhoods.html