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Workforce Data and Reports

The need for hospice and palliative services is growing rapidly as the population increases and ages and as both hospice and palliative care become more accepted and desired by the population. Hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) is a relatively new physician specialty. Given the time needed to increase the supply of specialty trained physicians, it was important to assess future needs now to guide future growth.

Since 2008, member boards of ABMS have certified 7,779 physicians in the subspecialty-level practice of hospice and palliative medicine. From 2008-2018, members boards of AOA have issued certificates of added qualifications to 419 physicians in the practice of hospice and palliative medicine. As of 2019, AOA will no longer release certification statistics for any specialty or subspecialty.

Current State of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Workforce

Proceedings of the Roundtable on Quality Care for People with Serious Illness’s workshop, Building the Workforce We Need to Care for People with Serious Illness, summarize the presentations and discussions from the November 2019 public workshop. View the videos and PowerPoint presentations from the Roundtable’s November workshop.

The George Washington University Health Workforce Institute in collaboration with AAHPM conducted workforce studies on the supply, distribution, need and demand for hospice and palliative medicine physicians. 

The current state of the workforce is described by the resources below:

Comparing Hospice and Palliative Care Pathways for New Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians

  • Read the Full Report

A Profile of New Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians: Results from the Survey of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows Who Completed Training in 2018

  • Read the Full Report

A Profile of Active Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians, 2016

  • Read the Executive Summary
  • Read the Full Report


Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
- The Growing Demand for Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians: Will the Supply Keep Up?

A Profile of New Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians: Results from the Survey of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows Who Completed Training in 2016

  • Read the Executive Summary
  • Read the Full Report

A Profile of New Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians: Results from the Survey of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows Who Completed Training in 2015

  • Read the Executive Summary
  • Read the Full Report


Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
- The 2015 Class of Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellow-From Training to Practice: Implications for HPM Workforce Supply

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians

Since 2008, ABMS and AOA formally recognized hospice and palliative medicine as a subspecialty certification.

Number Certified

The number of ABMS physicians who have achieved subspecialty certification in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) since 2008 is 7,779 and from 2008-2019 the number of AOA physicians who have achieved a certificate of added qualifications in HPM is 419. As of 2019, AOA will no longer release certification statistics for any specialty or subspecialty. See the breakdown as reported by ABMS/AOA.

ABMS American Board of: as of 12/31/19
Internal Medicine 4751
Family Medicine 1931
Pediatrics 346
Emergency Medicine 176
Psychiatry & Neurology 144
Anesthesiology 136
Surgery 80
Obstetrics & Gynecology 80
Radiology 69
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 59
Preventive Medicine 7
 ABMS Subtotal 7779
As of December 31, 2017, AOA only reports the total number of certificates issued for a given year through the AOA Conjoint Examination Committee for Hospice and Palliative Medicine. A breakdown by specialty is no longer available. As of 2019, AOA will no longer release certification statistics for any specialty or subspecialty.  
 AOA Subtotal (as of June 6, 2018) 419

Number Active

The number of active certificates held by ABMS diplomates is 6,999. The numbers include certificate holders who are retired and excludes physicians who are deceased. As of 2019, AOA will no longer release certification statistics for any specialty or subspecialty. See the breakdown as reported by ABMS. AOA statistics are reported as of August 2019.

ABMS American Board of: as of 6/30/20
Internal Medicine 4343
Family Medicine 1658
Pediatrics 312
Emergency Medicine 168
Anesthesiology 121
Psychiatry & Neurology 119
Surgery  77
Obstetrics & Gynecology 76
Radiology 60
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 58
Preventive Medicine 7
 ABMS Subtotal 6999
AOA American Osteopathic Board of: as of 08/21/19
Family Practice 241
Internal Medicine 151
Emergency Physicians 6
Neurology and Psychiatry 4
Pediatrics 3
Surgery 3
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 1
 AOA Total 409

Jobs Available

Looking for a new opportunity? View the AAHPM Job Mart for available positions in hospice, palliative medicine, pediatric palliative care, oncology, supportive care, end of life care, and more.

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