ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit on Aug. 7 detailing health care staffing shortages in 16 rural counties across New York.

The report found the state lacking in primary care doctors, pediatricians, OB-GYNs, dentists and mental health professionals.

According to DiNapoli's office, they conducted the system-wide analysis following roundtable discussions in the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes, where health care access represents a major concern. Per the report, which you can read at the bottom of this story, several counties do not have access to a variety of specialty medical providers.

On average, the 16 rural counties examined — Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chenango, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Schuyler, Steuben, Sullivan, Washington, Wyoming, and Yates — had just four primary care physicians for every 10,000 people. That's less than half the statewide ratio of 8.1 and further still below the national average of 8.4.

And that disparity gets worse in designated "primary care health professional shortage areas," where nearly 173,000 New Yorkers live. In those regions, it's down to just 0.12 physicians per 10,000.

The 16 rural counties have just 0.5 pediatricians for every 10,000 people, less than a fifth of the state ratio of 2.8. Chenango, Schuyler, and Yates Counties have no pediatricians at all, per the audit.

The ratio of obstetrician-gynecologists is 0.4 per 10,000, translating to about one for every 23,000 people. Hamilton, Herkimer, Schuyler, and Yates Counties have no OB-GYNs.

For dentists, these rural counties had 3.6 per 10,000 people, below half of the state's ratio of 8.3. Ten of the 16 counties have dental primary care health professional shortage areas for those eligible for Medicaid, which includes 134,248 people. And according to the comptroller, Hamilton County has no dentists at all.

The audit determined a ratio of 6.9 mental health........

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