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Rural Medicine Crisis in Alabama

   Medically Underserved Areas of Alabama

Medically Underserved Areas

Data Source: Heath Resources and Services Administration, HHS. Map created by RUPRI Community Information Resource Center Interactive Map Room: http:///circ.rupri.org

Alabama's Rural Health at a Glance

• 55 of 67 of Alabama's counties are considered rural.

• 2,061,567 residents, or 44.4% of the entire Alabama population, live in rural areas.

• There are 59 primary care health professional shortage areas in Alabama.

• In 2004, Alabama rural communities had only one primary care physician for every 2,200 citizens. In urban communities, there was one primary care physician for every 990 individuals.

• Nine Alabama counties do not have hospitals.

• 33 of 55 rural Alabama counties do not provide labor & delivery service.

Alabama suffers from a shortage of primary care physicians

• 61 of Alabama’s 67 counties are, in part or whole, short of primary care physicians; all rural counties are.
  
  

• Alabama ranks well below the national average in physician:population ratios by primary care versus non-primary care.
  
  

• Every Alabama county but two is included on the latest federal list of officially approved Medically Underserved areas.

In rural Alabama, this shortage exists in context with factors such as

• In parts of rural Alabama, deaths from cervical cancer are 56 percent higher than the U.S. as a whole and 30 percent higher than non-rural Alabama.

• In other Alabama areas, deaths from prostate cancer are 40 percent higher than the U.S., and 26 percent higher than non-rural Alabama.

• Diabetes-related deaths in rural Alabama are 25 to 44 percent higher than the U.S. and 5 to 18 percent higher than non-rural Alabama.

• Deaths from heart disease in rural Alabama are from 52 to 83 percent higher than the U.S. and 47 to 78 percent higher than non-rural Alabama.

• Deaths due to strokes are 64 percent higher than the U.S. and 56 percent higher than non-rural Alabama.

• Deaths from automobile accidents are 128 percent higher than the U.S. and 65 percent higher than non-rural Alabama.

Physicians Per 1000 Population Alabama 2000

The Primary Care Physician: Number of Office Visits to Primary Care Physicians vs. Other Specialists

Alabama: Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas

U.S. Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas

Number of Primary Care Physicians Needed to Eliminate Shortage Designation (by County)