Fierce Healthcare Feature: Strategies to Stem Losses of America's Primary Care Doctors
Elation's Head of Primary Care Advancement, Dr. Sara Pastoor, recently teamed up with Ann Greiner, President and CEO of the Primary Care Collaborative, to write a piece in Fierce Healthcare on the complex drivers of the shortage of primary care doctors and ideas for tackling the problem.
According to the piece:
"1 in 3 primary care clinicians told the Primary Care Collaborative (PDF) they expect to leave primary care within five years. This mass exodus only adds to our country’s crisis-level shortage of primary care. As the population ages and healthcare needs increase, the crisis escalates—particularly in non-metropolitan areas. As described in the Primary Care Collaborative’s 2022 Evidence Report (PDF), the percentage of Americans without an ongoing primary care relationship has risen from 16% in 2000 to 25% in 2020."
At the same time, the authors mention that the shortage of primary care clinicians is also related to the fact that the new number of primary care doctors joining the workforce annually is not keeping pace with public need and that it is likely that we are undercounting the number of clinicians we actually need to address the shortage.
In the midst of this crisis, the authors advocate for looking at the "root" of the issue by "addressing the origins of an inhospitable practice environment and barriers to entry."
They specifically mention:
- Changing the training model from hospital and health systems to community-based settings
- Increasing debt relief programs tied to choosing primary care
- Changing how primary care is paid
To read more about the primary care shortage and the proposals mentioned above, read the full piece on Fierce Healthcare.
