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COVID-19 outbreak highlights need for more physicians in Tennessee, Kentucky


 COVID-19 outbreak highlights need for more physicians in Tennessee, Kentucky{ } which both rank in the bottom half of doctors per 100,000 people. (Photo: Joce Sterman)
COVID-19 outbreak highlights need for more physicians in Tennessee, Kentucky which both rank in the bottom half of doctors per 100,000 people. (Photo: Joce Sterman)
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NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Tennessee continues to see a rise in COVID-19 cases, joining 12 other states to surpass the 100,000 total positive case count.

One of the key indicators behind decision making for Gov. Bill Lee's administration has been hospital bed availability which gives perspective on the state's ability to deal with outbreaks. Currently, the Tennessee Department of Health reports 15% of ICU beds in the state are available and 19% of floor beds are available.

As hospital bed availability dips and rural areas in the state see upticks in cases, there is also the question of care and doctors available to treat patients.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee and Kentucky were among states with the least active physicians per 100,000 population. According to the 2019 State Physician Workforce Data Report, Tennessee ranked 29th in active physicians per 100,000 population with 253. Kentucky fared worse, ranking 36th with 230.9 physicians per 100,000 people.

Among the multiple specialties for Tennessee's 17,133 physicians, 169 were infectious disease doctors. According to the data, this amounts to one infectious disease doctor for every 40,059 people. In Kentucky, the data shows just 78 infectious disease specialists equating to one for every 57,287 residents.

Gov. Lee's administration has made efforts to assist in the potential strain on health professionals such as lifting requirements on continuing education hours. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, 729 out-of-state physicians have been approved to practice medicine under Executive Order 50.

However, Dr. David Aronoff, the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says the low numbers of those in his field is a concern in the state.

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Dr. Aronoff says the role of infectious disease specialists goes beyond COVID-19 and they have been increasingly called upon to help combat antibiotic resistance in bacteria, Staphylococcus (MRSA), and infections where there are no active antibiotics available.

"Now, with COVID-19 we are involved in creating new therapies for this infection, for conducting clinical research into best practices for the diagnosis, management and treatment of COVID-19 and we are needed at the bedside of hospitalized, seriously ill patients to help with complex decision making around treatment," Dr. Aronoff says.

Infectious disease experts are also being called on to educate the community and healthcare workers on how to prevent, diagnose, treat, and control the virus. "We are also asked to develop recommendations for handling COVID-19 in various settings. I can tell from how often my colleagues and I get requests to speak with the media, to communicate with schools, businesses, and religious groups that there is high demand for our expertise and guidance in this uncertain and anxious time. People rely on our expertise to translate new studies, new media reports and new recommendations or guidelines into language that they can understand and implement," Dr. Aronoff says.

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While most COVID-19 patients don't need to see an infectious disease specialist, those with more severe or complicated conditions battling the virus in hospitals could need a specialist's help.

The current pandemic is highlighting an issue which was already known in the state when it comes to doctor shortages. With an uncertain future and warnings of other potential viruses or bacteria, it's clear states like Tennessee and Kentucky could use some more doctors not just for this outbreak but others to come.

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