Those of in the Temple area are blessed to be surrounded by fantastic hospitals, particularly Baylor Scott & White. And while we're grateful to the healthcare professionals saving and improving our lives on a daily basis, the numbers indicate we're also overworking them.

Data recently compiled by Medicare Health Plans indicates that Texas is number 7 out of the top 10 states with overworked physicians.

Using information from the US Census Bureau, FBI crime data, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, MHP determined the number of healthcare professionals in each state compared to their state's population. They found that Texas has only 2.2 physicians for every 1,000 people.

According to a 2014 survey by The Physicians Foundation, it's not simply a matter of being outnumbered. Texas doctors reported spending at least 20 percent of their time on nonclinical paperwork, and most claimed to be "harried by mountains of federal regulations". Many have place restrictions on how many patients they'll see as a result.

Although Texas did not rank among the top 10 states for overworked nurses, they were also shown to be overworked across the United States.

“With so many people compared to the number of doctors and nurses, we can assume that these health care professionals have a lot of work to do,” said Joshua Adamson of Medicare Health Plans. "What’s more, the numbers vary drastically from state to state. In many areas, doctors and nurses are much more overworked than other."


 

With Scott & White being one of the area's largest employers, chances are most of us have friends and family in the healthcare profession. I know I have several, and they're all overworked. However, I know they love their jobs and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. So, on behalf of all us Texans, I want to thank and salute all the doctors and nurses out there who've dedicated themselves to taking care of the rest of us.


 

You can see where other states ranked in the graphics below. If they appear to small in your browser, click or tap to expand them.

Overview

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Overworked Nurses

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Overworked Doctors

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