Health News
- Doctors Of Osteopathy Are An Increasing Answer To The Doctor Shortage, As More Osteopathic Medical Schools Open
Doctors of osteopathy could be part of the solution to Kentucky's well-documented primary care doctor shortage, Laurel Black reports for The Paducah Sun. "The American Association of Medical Colleges predicts that a growing population of aging...
- Panel Of Physicians At National Conference Discuss Future Of Rural Primary Care, How To Solve Doctor Shortages
More needs to be done to address the shortage of primary-care physicians, a big problem in rural areas and much of Kentucky, according to a panel of physicians at "Rural Health Journalism 2014," Kris Hickman writes for the Association of Health Care...
- Community Paramedics Program Could Help Provide Primary-care Services, Help Address State's Provider Shortage
Next spring, the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services could establish a community paramedics pilot program that has the potential to ease the state's shortage pf primary-care health providers. The idea was prompted by the likelihood...
- Ky. Is Already Short Of Doctors, Dentists; How Will Its Health-care System Handle Expansion Of Medicaid And Private Insurance?
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross Kentucky Health News In the wake of Gov. Steve Beshear?s recent decision to expand Medicaid under federal health reform, there is concern that Kentucky's health-care system will not be able to care for the newly insured....
- Will Illinois Have Enough Family Physicians Beyond 2014?
Do we have enough physicians to care for newly insured patients seeking care starting Jan. 1? Some will be covered by Medicaid; some gain coverage through the insurance marketplace; and others turning 65 join the ranks of Medicare. The Illinois Academy...
Health News
Family physicians group objects to cuts to primary-care physician training programs; cites doctor shortage, which is worse in Ky.
Facing an already-existing shortage of primary care in the country and state, the American Academy of Family Physicians sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, saying the committee's 2014 funding allocations could damage the nation's primary-care infrastructure by cutting primary-care physician training and research programs.
In the June 18 letter, AAFP Board Chair Glen Stream wrote, "We are concerned that the House-proposed allocation will be inadequate to make the necessary investment in vital primary care research and physician workforce training." The proposed allocation would reduce funding for the only federal program that provides funds specifically to academic departments and programs that increase the number of primary-care health professionals, says an AAFP release.
There are not enough primary-care physicians being trained to meet the demand for services, and a recent study shows only a fourth of newly educated doctors actually go into this field. Even worse for Kentucky, which faces a critical doctor shortage amid Medicaid expansion, less than 5 percent go on to practice in rural areas, says a study by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. The study's lead author wrote, "If residency programs do not ramp up the training of these physicians the shortage in primary care, especially in remote areas, will get worse."
How can Kentucky meet the critical demand for new doctors when Congress has proposed to make additional cuts to training programs? Kentucky needed to increase its number of doctors and other medical professionals even before the state decided expand Medicaid, says a recent review by Deloitte Consulting. The review found that the state needs 3,790 additional physicians, including primary-care doctors and specialists, and the doctor shortage is worse among rural communities.
In the June 18 letter, AAFP Board Chair Glen Stream wrote, "We are concerned that the House-proposed allocation will be inadequate to make the necessary investment in vital primary care research and physician workforce training." The proposed allocation would reduce funding for the only federal program that provides funds specifically to academic departments and programs that increase the number of primary-care health professionals, says an AAFP release.
There are not enough primary-care physicians being trained to meet the demand for services, and a recent study shows only a fourth of newly educated doctors actually go into this field. Even worse for Kentucky, which faces a critical doctor shortage amid Medicaid expansion, less than 5 percent go on to practice in rural areas, says a study by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. The study's lead author wrote, "If residency programs do not ramp up the training of these physicians the shortage in primary care, especially in remote areas, will get worse."
How can Kentucky meet the critical demand for new doctors when Congress has proposed to make additional cuts to training programs? Kentucky needed to increase its number of doctors and other medical professionals even before the state decided expand Medicaid, says a recent review by Deloitte Consulting. The review found that the state needs 3,790 additional physicians, including primary-care doctors and specialists, and the doctor shortage is worse among rural communities.
- Doctors Of Osteopathy Are An Increasing Answer To The Doctor Shortage, As More Osteopathic Medical Schools Open
Doctors of osteopathy could be part of the solution to Kentucky's well-documented primary care doctor shortage, Laurel Black reports for The Paducah Sun. "The American Association of Medical Colleges predicts that a growing population of aging...
- Panel Of Physicians At National Conference Discuss Future Of Rural Primary Care, How To Solve Doctor Shortages
More needs to be done to address the shortage of primary-care physicians, a big problem in rural areas and much of Kentucky, according to a panel of physicians at "Rural Health Journalism 2014," Kris Hickman writes for the Association of Health Care...
- Community Paramedics Program Could Help Provide Primary-care Services, Help Address State's Provider Shortage
Next spring, the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services could establish a community paramedics pilot program that has the potential to ease the state's shortage pf primary-care health providers. The idea was prompted by the likelihood...
- Ky. Is Already Short Of Doctors, Dentists; How Will Its Health-care System Handle Expansion Of Medicaid And Private Insurance?
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross Kentucky Health News In the wake of Gov. Steve Beshear?s recent decision to expand Medicaid under federal health reform, there is concern that Kentucky's health-care system will not be able to care for the newly insured....
- Will Illinois Have Enough Family Physicians Beyond 2014?
Do we have enough physicians to care for newly insured patients seeking care starting Jan. 1? Some will be covered by Medicaid; some gain coverage through the insurance marketplace; and others turning 65 join the ranks of Medicare. The Illinois Academy...