New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are at highest risk for an inadequate supply of respiratory therapists at surge capacity, according to the latest projections from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health's state health workforce deficit estimator.
The states are considered highest risk because the estimator shows they would have an inadequate supply of respiratory therapists under any COVID-19 demand scenario and no workforce attrition.
Projections from the estimator are based on an April 21 update of Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation COVID-19 Hospitalization Data, as well as American Hospital Association 2018 survey data, using only short-term acute hospitals. They assume hospitals are adopting surge capacity staffing ratios and don't account for respiratory therapist staffing distribution at different locations and healthcare organizations within a state.
More information about the methodology is available here.
Here are supply and demand estimates for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut under the mean COVID-19 demand scenario and no workforce attrition.
New York
Respiratory therapist supply: 4,490
Shortage for adequate COVID-19 response: 7,400
New Jersey
Respiratory therapist supply: 1,857
Shortage for adequate COVID-19 response: 3,745
Connecticut
Respiratory therapist supply: 704
Shortage for adequate COVID-19 response: 1,409
Read more about the estimator here.