In addition to a shortage of primary care physicians overall, the nation is facing a shortage of a subgroup within primary care — physicians with special training in the care of older people. This scarcity comes at a time when the nation's fastest-growing population group is 85 and older, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.
The number of geriatricians has dropped by a quarter since 2000 to 7,000 physicians, according to the report, while the American Geriatrics Society estimates there will be a need for 36,000 of these specialists by 2030.
The kind of medicine geriatricians practice emphasizes prevention, comprehensive lifestyle modification and management of chronic conditions.
Read the Sacramento Bee's report on the scarcity of geriatricians.