Maine’s physician, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant workforce in 2018


  • Abstract

    Compared with 2014, Maine had slightly fewer licensed physicians, and more  NPs and PAs in Maine for every 100,000 state residents in 2018.
    Mean ages of physicians were the same, but NPs’ and PAs’ mean ages each decreased by one year from 2014 to 2018.
    Maine’s practicing physician supply, on a per capita basis, was somewhat larger than national averages, both overall and for primary care.
    The number of primary care physicians per capita varied greatly by county, with more than twice as many in counties with the highest physician density compared with counties having the lowest density.
    Half or more of the physicians in many of Maine’s most rural counties were age 55 or older.
    Nearly a quarter of Maine’s total 2018 practicing physician supply graduated from medical school at one of the three colleges affiliated with Maine Medical Center.
    About 27% of all of Maine’s physicians in 2018 – 42% of primary care physicians, and more than half in family medicine specialties – completed a residency in Maine, which is an overall increase from 2014.
    Comparisons of county-level physician, NP and PA workforce supply with indicators of population health show some areas of the state where the availability of providers may be affecting access to healthcare, suggesting areas for further examination.


  • Authors:

    Skillman SM, Stubbs BA, Dahal A

  • Journal/Publisher:

    Seattle, WA: Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington

  • Edition:

    Jul 2018.

  • Documents:

    Full Report

  • Citation:

    Skillman SM, Stubbs BA, Dahal A. Maine’s physician, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant workforce in 2018. Seattle, WA: Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington, Jul 2018.