| California’s Worsening Physician Shortage Calmatters California is in dire need of more physicians and other primary care providers. By 2030, the state will have a shortage of more than 10,000 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other primary care providers. Some areas of the state will be hit harder than others. These include inner cities, rural areas, and people without health coverage. UC Davis The UC Davis ACE-PC program was launched in 2014. Its inaugural graduates are practicing in primary care settings and geriatrics at Kaiser Permanente. Another group is pursuing a fellowship in nephrology. Since its inception, the program has graduated 53 students. In addition, 80% of ACE-PC graduates are the first in their family to attend college, and many are older than the average medical student. Many of these students are also committed to serving underserved communities. The shortage of primary care physicians is particularly severe in California. By 2030, demand is expected to be 12-17 percent higher than the supply. This is due to the fact that California has a growing number of medically underserved communities. This shortage could leave California short of tens of thousands of primary care physicians. University of California medical school California is in desperate need of more primary care physicians, and the shortage is already impacting rural and low-income areas. The shortage is expected to affect millions of people within the next decade. The problem is that many new doctors are opting to specialize in the medical field rather than go into primary care, and the state is not producing enough of them. Other factors contributing to California’s physician shortage include steep student loan debt, the draw to large cities, and small Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. Despite the dire situation, Californians are still finding ways to deal with the problem. One solution is to expand the role of nurse practitioners. This strategy has proven to lower costs in other states and improve access to primary care providers. In California, this would result in an average cost reduction of $17 per visit, which would save the state $400 million a year. In the past, Representative Wood voted against the measure, but changed his mind when he was faced with a physician shortage in his rural district. Oregon Health and Science University in Portland The physician shortage is one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S., with 7 million people living in areas that do not have enough doctors to provide primary care services. Although the number of physicians in the U.S. is rising, it is still not fast enough to meet the growing need. As a result, many physicians are moving into administrative, teaching, and research roles. OHSU is working to solve the problem by increasing the number of medical students and graduates in its health care programs. Its goal is to graduate 2,000 additional physicians in a decade, as well as increase diversity in its student body. It is also increasing class sizes and offering tuition assistance to diverse students. UCLA The Los Angeles area has become a physician shortage hotspot, and UCLA is no exception. The medical school’s entering class size is among the lowest in California, at 50 students. The school is trying to address the problem by paging more physicians to the school and offering loan repayment programs for those who graduated with a medical degree but did not practice medicine. California is experiencing a significant shortage of primary care physicians. The shortage is already affecting the state’s low-income inner-city neighborhoods and rural areas, and it is expected to affect millions of Californians within the next decade. The problem is that there are not enough young doctors going into primary care, and too many are deciding to retire early. The shortage is further compounded by low reimbursement rates for physicians practicing in low-income areas, which further drives physicians away. |
Paging More Doctors Californias Worsening Physician Shortage Calmatters
By Amber Heard
paging more doctors californias worsening physician shortage calmatters
