We're not keeping up with the Joneses: North Carolina has fewer dentists per capita than neighboring (and most other) states.

This commentary provides a data-driven analysis that shows that North Carolina faces a geographically maldistributed dentist workforce that is inadequate in supply. Not only has North Carolina consistently lagged behind other states in dentists per capita for over 10 years, but projections of future workforce supply do not show improvement.

Surgical workforce in the American South.

There exists a geographic maldistribution of surgeons with significant regional characteristics, which is associated with surgical access differentials that may be contributing to existing health disparities in the United States. We sought to evaluate the trends in the surgical workforce in southern states of the United States from 1981 to 2006 using the American Medical Association Masterfile data. Our study revealed that the general surgery workforce growth peaked in 1986 and has had negative growth per capita as a result of the consistent population growth, unlike other regions in the country.

Factors affecting attrition from associate degree nursing programs in North Carolina.

Projected nursing shortfalls have spurred the state of North Carolina to initiate a series of strategies to increase the number of graduates from pre-licensure Registered Nurse (RN) programs. These efforts have been largely successful, but attrition rates from Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs remain high. Only 58% of students entering ADN programs complete the degree.

Numbers of minority health professionals: where do we stand?

This overview has pointed to a continuing racial and ethnic imbalance in the health professions that applies to North Carolina as well as the nation. Great strides have been made early in the development of programs to enhance racial and ethnic representation, but they have generally reached a plateau in terms of growth and progress. Resistance to affirmative action programs and subsequent uncertainty over their legal standing can be cited as one factor thwarting progress, but that issue has been resolved and schools, professions, and the North Carolina General Assembly can move forward with a clear understanding of how to proceed.