U.S. counties need to implement crisis workforce strategies to deal with shortfalls in ICU doctors Over the next month, 209 U.S. counties in the United States will need to implement crisis workforce strategies to deal with potentially dangerous shortfalls of intensive care unit doctors, according to a new analysis published today. The analysis draws on data from a just-launched county-level hospital workforce estimator, one that takes into account the strain on staffing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortages could occur just as public health officials warn that variants of the coronavirus are spreading in the United States and could trigger a sharp rise in the number of Americans infected. Our new online estimator will help county and local public health officials project shortages in the near future and take steps to help keep staffing at safe levels."