Nearly 78 million people live in the 7,500-plus areas designated as primary care health professional shortage areas by the Department of Health and Human Services (as of November 2019). Approximately 65 percent of these shortage areas are in rural parts of the country.
Patients in need of dermatologic care are among those affected by these shortages, and the implications can be severe for patients with skin diseases—many of which are serious and can be life threatening.
