(NPR) – Five years after the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and the Trump administration announced a national emergency, the United States faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, and one that is below its projected need for an aging population.

That could have lasting impacts on care, particularly in states like Iowa with significant rural populations.

Experts say the problem has been building for a while, but the impacts of the pandemic accelerated the shortages by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields. (Read More)