Rochester, Minn., has the highest concentration of surgeons in the U.S., according to the American College of Surgeons’ new Surgical Workforce Mapping Tool and a companion study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
ACS unveiled the free tool at Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C. It was built with the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and maps surgeon supply across 3,144 counties and 306 hospital referral regions.
Here are seven findings from the report:
1. The Rochester hospital referral region has 250.4 surgeons per 100,000 residents across 12 specialties, the highest in the nation.
2. The Harlingen, Texas, region ranks lowest at 20.8 per 100,000, about twelvefold lower than Rochester.
3. Nationwide, 201,394 surgeons practiced as of April 2025, or 59.2 per 100,000 people.
4. In 951 counties (30%), there is no identified surgeon in any of the 12 specialties. Those counties are home to 9.6 million residents.
5. In 1,180 counties (38%), there is no general surgeon. Those counties are home to 15.1 million people.
6. 434 critical access hospitals are in counties without an identified surgeon.
7. Transplant surgery averages 0.3 surgeons per 100,000 people and is absent from 179 of the 306 hospital referral regions.
“For a patient, the question is not how many surgeons the country has; it is whether there is one available where they live,” said Thomas Tsai, MD, a study co-author and medical director for health policy research in the ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy.
The findings come as Congress weighs the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026 (HR 7198). The bill would direct HRSA to develop a method for identifying general surgery shortage areas.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
