The medical care that is available is "stressed quite to the max" in Wyoming, a rural state where it's always a challenge to recruit health care professionals and provide medical care to far-flung oil and gas fields, said Dr. Brent Sherard, director of the state Health Department.

"I think the energy boom has and will create more problems with access to health care," Sherard said.

Another major problem is the lack of child care, especially for parents working odd hours in oil and gas fields that operate around the clock.

The YWCA isn't meeting the daycare demand because it can't find enough employees, said Christie DeGrendele, executive director. "It's the one area where we can't provide services to those requesting it," she said.

All social service organizations and local police agencies reported difficulty finding workers because they can't compete against oil and gas jobs that offer $20 an hour or more.

Meantime, the workload is increasing.

"The troopers in this area are just running from call to call to call," said Capt. Dave Cunningham, state Highway Patrol district supervisor in Rock Springs.