The University of Nevada School of Medicine released updated versions of two of its biennial reports on the health work force in Nevada last month.

"The Physician Workforce in Nevada - 2016 Edition" provides detailed information on the current supply of physicians in Nevada.

Lead author John Packham, Ph.D., director of health policy research at the School of Medicine, notes that: "The updated study provides the most currently available data on the state's physician workforce, as well as changes in physician supply across various regions of the state."

He added: "The report provides fresh evidence of the need for policy makers to increase both undergraduate and graduate medical education opportunities in the state if we're to meet the anticipated growth in demand for medical services over the next decade."

Some general observed trends from this report include:

• There are 5,726 physicians with an active license to practice or in residency in the State of Nevada (MDs and DOs) - 69.8 percent of these physicians are in Clark County and 22.4 percent are in Washoe County.
• Currently, there are 200.6 physicians with an active license to practice in the State of Nevada (MDs and DOs) per 100,000 population - per capita rates range from 26.1 physicians per 100,000 population in Lyon County to 344.8 physicians per 100,000 population in Carson City.
• Over the past two decades, the number of MDs in a primary care specialty has grown by 1,109 (128.5 percent) and the number of MDs in a primary care sub-specialty has grown by 339 (271.2 percent). However, the proportion of the total physician workforce in a primary care specialty or sub-specialty declined from 39.2 percent in 1993 to 38.7% in 2013.
• Currently, 26.9 percent of the MD workforce in Nevada is aged 60 and over; nationally, the percentage is 29.4.
• There were a total of 1,168 active physicians (MD and DO) in the U.S. who completed their residency training in Nevada - of this total, 631 or 54 percent are currently practicing in Nevada. Among U.S. states, Nevada ranks 8th in the percentage of physicians who are practicing in the same state within which they completed their residency training.
• There were a total of 229 active physicians (MD and DO) in the U.S. who completed both medical school and residency training in Nevada - of this total, 177 or 77.3 percent are currently practicing in Nevada. Among U.S. states, Nevada ranks 6th in the percentage of physicians who are practicing in the same state within which they completed both medical school and residency training.

The School of Medicine also released the updated "Health Workforce Supply in Nevada - 2016 Edition" report, which provides current data on the supply of physicians, nurses, and other health care workers in Nevada.

General trends in this report include:

• Currently, the state's health care workforce consists of 129,551 total jobs or 10.2 percent of the state's workforce.
• From 2004 to 2014, the number of licensed allopathic physicians (MDs) grew by 1,258 or 34.8 percent. However, the number of licensed MDs per 100,000 only increased by 14.9 percent during the same period due to steady population growth.
• In contrast, advanced practitioners of nursing (APNs) and physician assistants (PAs) have experienced both strong numerical and per capita growth over the past decade. The number of licensed APNs has grown from 355 in 2004 to 901 in 2014 - an increase in the number of 546 licensees or 154 percent.    
• Despite recent improvement in the number of licensed health professionals, Nevada's health workforce rankings have not changed appreciably over the past two decades.  Noteworthy rankings include the number of physicians per capita (Nevada is ranked 48^th among U.S. states), primary care physicians (50^th), registered nurses (51^st), psychiatrists (47^th), and psychologists (41^st).