A new national report highlights a growing concern for hospitals across the country: fewer physicians are choosing to specialize in infectious disease. This means fewer doctors to treat a growing number of patients with an infectious disease, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, or post-surgical infection.
According to new data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the pipeline of physicians entering infectious disease fellowships is shrinking. For many hospitals, especially those outside major metro areas, infectious disease specialists are already difficult to recruit for on-staff roles.
The latest data suggests that challenge may intensify in the years ahead. TeleInfectious disease programs are proven to be an immediate staffing solution to ensure timely care for patients with complex infections.
The Study: Infectious Disease Fellowships Struggle to Fill
The NRMP’s Specialties Matching Service data for the 2026 appointment year shows while 447 infectious disease fellowship positions were offered nationwide, only 319 physicians applied. As a result, around 100 infectious disease positions went unfilled.
The number of fellowship positions has remained relatively stable, but fewer physicians are choosing the specialty.
This decline comes as infectious threats remain a major concern. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses, emerging pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance require strong infectious disease expertise across the healthcare ecosystem.
The Access Challenge Hospitals Already Face
When expertise is unavailable locally, hospitals may face:
- Delayed specialist consultation
- Greater reliance on patient transfers
- Challenges maintaining antimicrobial stewardship programs
- Limited clinical support during outbreaks or complex infection cases
“Across the country, many hospitals simply do not have consistent access to infectious disease physicians,” said Jade Le, M.D., Chief of Infectious Disease at Access TeleCare. “As the workforce pipeline shrinks, health systems will need new ways to extend infectious disease expertise to the patients and clinicians who need it.”
TeleInfectious Disease: Expanding Access to Specialty Expertise
TeleInfectious Disease is proven to support hospitals in providing access to infectious disease expertise.
Rather than relying solely on local recruitment, hospitals can connect clinicians and patients with board-certified infectious disease specialists remotely for consultation, case review, and antibiotic stewardship support.
Through teleInfectious disease programs, hospitals can:
- Provide timely infectious disease consultations
- Strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs
- Reduce unnecessary transfers
- Improve care for complex infections
- Support infection prevention and outbreak response
“Telemedicine allows infectious disease specialists to extend their reach across multiple hospitals,” Dr. Le said. “It helps ensure that patients receive expert guidance even when a hospital does not have a specialist on site.”
A Scalable Path Forward
The decline in infectious disease fellowship applicants highlights a broader workforce challenge that will take years to correct. Training new specialists requires time, and hospitals must continue delivering high-quality care in the meantime.
Technology-enabled care models are bridging that gap today. By connecting hospitals with infectious disease physicians virtually, telemedicine provides a proven way to maintain access to critical expertise.
Learn More
Access TeleCare’s TeleInfectious Disease program helps hospitals expand specialty access, strengthen antimicrobial stewardship efforts, and improve care for patients with complex infections.
