Desperate for doctors, one state is pulling out all stops to try and increase recruitment.
The Alabama House of Representatives recently passed the Physician Workforce Act to begin addressing the problem. Among other things, the bill would bolster recruitment of out-of-state physicians, accelerate licensure for international medical grads and create an apprenticeship program for residents awaiting placement, the Alabama Political Reporter noted.
“The physician workforce is vanishing,” Mark LeQuire, MD, with Montgomery Radiology Associates, told the publication. “The causes are many, including physician retirements, physician burnout and an aging population. But no matter what the causes are, there’s only one solution: Alabama needs more doctors.”
Rep. Paul Lee sponsored the bill, labeling it a “commonsense approach” to strengthening recruitment while making better use of the existing workforce. Numerous groups have come out in support of the legislation, including the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and several other specialty groups.
“The Physician Workforce Act is an important step forward to ensure more Alabamians have access to the physician-led, team-based care they need and deserve,” LeQuire told the Political Reporter. “Long term, the state needs to train more physicians in Alabama residency programs and then convince them to stay, but the Physician Workforce Act is an important first step.”
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Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.