According to a report released by the National Association of Community Health Centers, by 2015, Texas would need more than 4,500 additional primary care doctors and other medical professionals to serve all of its residents who have limited access to health care.

The report recommends that Texas hire 1,993 primary care providers within seven years and look for more at a later date. In the report, primary care providers are defined as primary care doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives.

In Travis County, five areas defined as underserved by primary care -- South Austin, Dove Springs, Del Valle, Manor and East Austin -- are short 35 primary care providers, said Jose Camacho, executive director of the Texas Association of Community Health Centers. He defined underserved in those areas as having fewer than one primary care provider for every 3,500 people.

The shortage is a national problem that is worsening as fewer medical students choose primary care. Dr. James Rohack, a senior cardiologist at Scott & White Clinic in Temple and president-elect of the American Medical Association, said that the field has become less financially attractive.

The report recommends solving the problem in stages. It says that the nation's 6,600 community health center sites now serving 18 million uninsured or underinsured people with 11,887 providers around the country are 1,843 providers short. Those health centers, which receive federal aid, will need an additional 15,585 to 19,428 primary care providers to reach 30 million patients by 2015. And to reach a total of 69 million patients -- the actual number of patients that the report anticipates needing service by 2015 -- 51,299 to 60,138 more providers will be needed.

The report also state that Texas will need 4,584 more primary care providers to reach its entire underserved population, which it calculated at 5.3 million people by 2015.

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