The Distribution of Specialist Physicians in Puerto Rico: Supply and Demand Projections of Twenty-Five Medical Specialties
Vol. 45 No. 3 (2026), Full-Length Articles
Vol. 45 No. 3 (2026)

The Distribution of Specialist Physicians in Puerto Rico: Supply and Demand Projections of Twenty-Five Medical Specialties: Distribution of Physicians in Puerto Rico

Full-Length Articles
Published 2026-09-24
Darya S. Sulkouskaya
University of Central Florida
Sara Belligoni
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7563-3043
Fernando Rivera
Puerto Rico Research Hub, University of Central Florida
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0523-8248
PDF

Keywords

Puerto Rico
Healthcare Disparities
Public Health
Physician Shortage

How to Cite

Sulkouskaya, D. S., Belligoni, S., & Rivera, F. (2026). The Distribution of Specialist Physicians in Puerto Rico: Supply and Demand Projections of Twenty-Five Medical Specialties: Distribution of Physicians in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal, 45(3), 165–171. Retrieved from https://prhsj.rcm.upr.edu/index.php/prhsj/article/view/3742
ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver

Download Citation

Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX

Abstract

Objective: In recent decades, there have been major waves of physician migration from Puerto Rico, disproportionately affecting rural and suburban areas most. To quantify this issue, the supply of physicians of twenty-five different specialties was compared to their projected demand by municipality, region, and as a whole for Puerto Rico. Methods: Data regarding the availability of physicians across the archipelago was obtained through a partnership with CredeMtia - Manejo de Servicios de Salud of Puerto Rico. Demand projections were calculated based on literature review of current demand for each specialty, and then compared to current supply on the archipelago and each of its regions and municipalities. Results: The resulting data has shown that 64% of the investigated specialties have an inadequate supply of physicians in Puerto Rico. Physicians are predominantly located in the Metropolitan region of the archipelago, leaving the majority of Puerto Rico with limited access to healthcare. Conclusion: The results emphasize the need for healthcare reform and can be used to aid in the training and placement of physicians in the most pressing areas of need to help address this problem.

PDF
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).