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Orthopaedic Surgeon Density In West Virginia, Franklin D. Shuler, Grant S. Buchanan, Zachary Sanford, Milad Modarresi, James Timothy Reagan, Kelly Scott, Chad Fisher, Ali Oliashirazi
Orthopaedic Surgeon Density In West Virginia, Franklin D. Shuler, Grant S. Buchanan, Zachary Sanford, Milad Modarresi, James Timothy Reagan, Kelly Scott, Chad Fisher, Ali Oliashirazi
Chad Fisher
Abstract West Virginia (WV) has many healthcare disparities and access barriers. For bone and joint disorders, WV has some of the highest rates of musculoskeletal problems, including the highest reported rate of adult arthritis in the nation (36.2%). We hypothesized that WV has one of the lowest Orthopaedic surgeon densities in the country, which can negatively impact the delivery of musculoskeletal care. Using the WV Board of Medicine practitioner databank, the Veterans Administration practitioner data, and national Orthopaedic surgeon census data, we demonstrated a considerably low Orthopaedic surgeon density in WV (7.71/100,000 population versus the national average of 8.51/100,000 population) …