Mapping the US Surgical Desert: 15 Million Lack Local General Surgeons

The analysis, conducted by the American College of Surgeons and the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, provides the first granular, county-by-county map of surgeon supply across 12 specialties. While every hospital referral region in the country contains at least one general surgeon, the data highlights a stark geographic divide. In total, 951 counties—home to 9.6 million people—lack a surgeon in any of the 12 tracked specialties, rendering local access to specialized procedures virtually nonexistent.

Rural communities face the most acute pressure, with 434 critical access hospitals located in counties where no full-time surgeon practices. Dr. Thomas C. Tsai, a co-author of the study, noted that national averages often mask these local deficiencies, where the primary concern for a patient is not the national supply, but whether care is available within their own community. The findings arrive as Congress considers the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026, which aims to formalize how federal authorities identify and support surgical shortage areas. By providing a public, interactive mapping tool, researchers hope to guide future investments in residency training and rural health infrastructure to address these uneven distributions.