Neurology Workforce Shortage: What Leaders Must Do Now to Avoid Crisis

A neurology workforce shortage?  Why does this matter?  How does it affect this reader personally?  Announce a workforce shortage that will interfere with Amazon deliveries – that will strike fear in the hearts of readers!  But neurology?  Meh…

Most readers are connected to someone whose life is impacted by chronic headache, Alzheimer’s disease or another neurological condition.  Recent years have brought unprecedented advances to the understanding and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, migraine and other neurological conditions. Ideally, there should be enough specialists to provide established and novelty treatments to those who seek it; however, there are not enough neurologists in practice or in the training pipeline to ensure neurology care will be available and accessible to all those who need it. Physician training programs are locked in the mire of an outdated system of government funding. The absence of formal neurology training programs for advanced practice providers further hinders the supply of providers to meet the growing demand.

Leaders must take initiative to bring about change at federal and local levels. Within their own practices and systems, they must build, develop, and connect teams of providers with patients and family. Interprofessional expansion of the clinical neurology team can alleviate the implications of the workforce shortage. United by a common goal, the neurology team will deliver appropriate, timely, and targeted care to impact the growing population of patients in need of such specialized care.