The Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment says physician numbers have increased in Hawaii. ADVERTISING The Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment says physician numbers have increased in Hawaii. The state gained a net of 97 new doctors overall after retirements and new medical
The Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment says physician numbers have increased in Hawaii.
The state gained a net of 97 new doctors overall after retirements and new medical licenses were taken into account.
There were 45 retirements last year.
But enough physicians completed medical school and were issued licenses to end up with a net gain that was much better than the prior year’s gain of only four physicians.
A total of 2,900 physicians are licensed to treat patients in Hawaii. But there’s a deficit of 500, with the impact felt most strongly in primary care.
The University of Hawaii is continuing to search for ways to increase the number of physicians, including through teen health camps to expose students to hands-on patient care in medicine and dentistry, increased medical-student class sizes and loan repayment programs that reward physicians who agree to practice in underserved locations.
