Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Healthcare system unprepared for aging boomers, study finds


The American medical system is woefully unprepared for the flood of aging baby boomers, according to a sweeping federal study released Monday, which predicted crisis-level shortages in healthcare workers and serious gaps in training.

The Institute of Medicine report -- "Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce" -- estimates that there currently is only one physician certified in geriatrics for every 2,500 older Americans and that turnover among nurse's aides averages 71% annually.
More from the LA Times

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