TRENDS IN NEUROLOGY PHYSICIANS 1996-2006 SPECIALTY FACT SHEET SERIES FALL 2009 (No. 8 of 12) GEORGIA BOARD FOR PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF NEUROLOGY PHYSICIANS Neurology Physician Distribution 2006 Secondary Care Service Areas* (SCSA) There was an increase in physicians becoming board certified between 1996 and 2006. Dade Catoosa Murray Fannin Towns Rabun Union Whitfield White Walker Chattooga Gordon Region 1 1.3 Floyd Bartow Gilmer Habersham Lumpkin Region 2 Stephens Pickens Dawson 1.1 Banks Franklin Hart Cherokee Forsyth Hall Jackson Madison Elbert Below State Rate Above State Rate GA Rate = 3.3 US Rate = 4.9 Polk Paulding Haralson Region 3 Cobb Gwinnett Barrow Clarke Oglethorpe Dekalb Walton Oconee Wilkes 4.3 Region 5 *Physicians per 100,000 population Lincoln Carroll Douglas Rockdale Fulton Clayton Newton 2.1 Morgan Greene Taliaferro Columbia McDuffie Region 7 Coweta Heard Henry Fayette Butts Spalding Jasper Warren Putnam Hancock Glascock Richmond Region 4 9.6 Meriwether Pike Lamar Monroe 2.3 Region 6 Troup Baldwin Jones Jefferson Washington Burke Harris Upson Talbot 2.2 Bibb Crawford Wilkinson Twiggs Johnson Emanuel Jenkins Screven Taylor Peach Muscogee Region 8 Marion Bleckley Laurens Houston Treutlen Bulloch Candler Effingham Region 9 Region 12 Chattahoochee Macon 1.4 Schley Pulaski Dodge Montgomery Evans 1.0 3.5 Stewart Webster Sumter Dooly Wilcox Wheeler Tatnall Toombs Bryan Chatham Crisp Telfair Liberty Quitman Terrell Lee Randolph Clay Calhoun Dougherty Region 10 Early Baker 2.2 Mitchell Miller Turner Ben Hill Jeff Davis Appling Long Worth Colquitt Irwin Coffee Bacon Wayne Tift Region 11 Pierce Berrien 2.1 Cook Atkinson Ware Brantley McIntosh Glynn Seminole Decatur Grady Thomas Brooks Lanier Lowndes Clinch Charlton Camden Echols 1996: 75.0% of neurology physicians were board certified compared to 73.4% of total physicians. 2006: 85.1% of neurology physicians were board certified compared to 83.2% of total physicians. Neurology physicians have increased by 24.3% between 1996 and 2006. Of all the neurology physicians: 1996: 7.0% were residents 2006: 2.4% were residents Of all the residents: 1996: 2.2% were in neurology 2006: 2.0% were in neurology *State Service Delivery Regions; Effective July 1, 1998, the State Legislature voted to provide regional boundaries for the purpose of consistency in planning and service delivery from State Agencies. MSA VERSUS NON-MSA DISTRIBUTION OF NEUROLOGY PHYSICIANS Neurology physicians have always been concentrated in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Likewise, there has been a decline of neurologists practicing in Non-Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Non-MSAs). From 2004 to 2006, there was a 6.6% decrease in the percentage of neurology physicians practicing in Non-MSA designated areas. NEUROLOGY PHYSICIANS BY YEAR: GEORGIA MSA/NON-MSA DESIGNATION MSA NON-MSA 2004 85.1% 14.9% 2006 91.7% 8.3% Georgia Board for Physician Workforce 1718 Peachtree St., N.W., Suite 683, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, (404) 206-5420 www.gbpw.georgia.gov Cherri Tucker, Executive Director. Colette Caldwell, Carla Graves, Kelly McNamara, and G.E. Alan Dever, M.D., Ph.D., contributors. DEMOGRAPHICS Neurology Physicians By Gender 100 86.0% 80 79.7% 60 40 14.0% 20 20.3% 0 1996 2006 Male Female Neurology Physicians By Race 100 91.3% 79.1% 80 60 40 20 0 White 11.7% 1.5% 6.2% 4.4% 1.0% 4.8% Black Asian 1996 2006 Other Since 1996, there has been an increase in the number of female neurology physicians practicing in Georgia. Overall, the percentage of minority physicians has increased. Black physicians increased by 10.2%, while the percentage of white neurology physicians decreased by 12.2% between 1996 and 2006. Percentage of Neurology Physicians and Total Physicians Age 55 and Older 1996 and 2006 40 30 23.5% 23.0% 26.3% 20 12.4% 10 0 1996 2006 Neurology Total Physicians The percentage of neurologists age 55 and older increased 10.6% between 1996 and 2006. Similarly, the percentage of total practicing physicians age 55 and older increased by 2.8% during the same time period. TRENDS IN THE NUMBER AND RATE OF NEUROLOGY PHYSICIANS Over the last ten years, the NUMBER of neurology physicians practicing in Georgia has fluctuated from year-to-year, but increased overall. The RATE for neurology physicians was 3.3 in 1996 and 2006, with minor changes in between. Total Number 400 303 302 300 243 256 261 276 Rate per 100,000 Population 4 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.3 3 200 2 100 1 0 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 0 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006