Georgia health care workforce shortage puts pressure on patients, tell me about this news in (https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/georgia-health-care-workforce-shortage-puts-pressure-on-patients/)
16-09-2026
This CBS News Atlanta report highlights the worsening health care workforce shortage across Georgia and its direct, challenging consequences for patients.Key Details from the Report:
- Shortages Across the Board: According to Caylee Noggle, President and CEO of the Georgia Hospital Association, shortages span nurses, physicians, behavioral health specialists, and EMS personnel. This shortage results in longer wait times, reduced service availability, and intense pressure on emergency departmentswith rural communities facing the greatest risk of service closures.
- The Real-World Impact on Patients: The story features Atlanta resident Sherran Mumphrey and her 81-year-old mother, who lives in rural Cordele and has fought cancer for more than two decades. Due to local provider shortages and delays in getting responses from overburdened nearby clinics, her mother has to travel 40 to 45 miles to Albany for specialized oncology care. With Mumphrey driving about 135 miles to help her, a single appointment can consume an entire day (such as from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
- Graduates Leaving the State: Data from the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce’s 2026 medical school graduate survey reveals that nearly two out of three medical graduates (65.2%, or 462 out of 709) matched into residency programs outside of Georgia. Notably, 25.5% of those leaving reported that they actually wanted to remain in Georgia but were unable to secure an in-state residency match. Other reasons cited for leaving included out-of-state program prestige, family considerations, higher resident compensation, and specific specialty offerings.
- Proposed Solutions: Health care leaders emphasize that Georgia is not training enough professionals to meet future demand. Expanding capacity requires recruiting more teaching faculty, increasing funding for residency and training slots, and partnering with K–12 schools, technical colleges, and universities to generate early interest in health care careers. As Noggle noted, while having insurance is critical, care cannot be delivered without the people needed to provide it.