Hawaii County lacks hundreds of physicians needed to sustain the population
Hawaii’s physician shortage has loomed large for years but worsened in 2020 — and on the Big Island, the lack of doctors became even more dire.
A 2020 Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment — completed by Dr. Kelley Withy, a professor at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and a physician workforce researcher — found that Hawaii County is short 287 doctors and has 53% fewer physicians than similar-sized communities on the mainland.
That’s the largest shortage in the state.
Maui County has a 43% shortage, Kauai has a 33% shortage and Oahu has a 20% shortage. Statewide, there is a need for 29% more physicians.
Hawaii County lacks hundreds of physicians needed to sustain the population
