Pediatric surgical border health: Supply may not be meeting demand in South Texas communities.

Introduction: The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) has historically high incidence of congenital defects (CDs) necessitating intervention by pediatric surgical specialties. We examined mortality in this region and related workforce patterns.

Methods: Mortality data related to CDs (2007-2021) and surgical workforce trends/projections (2024-2032) were collected using multiple databases: National Vital Statistics System, Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Medical Board, Center for Disease Control.

When physician supply does not meet patient demand: A looming epidemic in vascular and renal care for a community with the highest incidence of end-stage renal disease in the United States.

Background: South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) are medically underserved-communities near the Texas-Mexico border with the highest incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the nation, and a shortage of available full-time equivalent (FTE) specialty-physicians.

Methods: Data on the incidence/prevalence of ESRD and workforce projections on vascular-surgeons and nephrologists were collected from the United States Renal Data System and Texas Department of State Health Services. We then merged data from both datasets to identify population-specific healthcare-trends.