Interdisciplinary Workforce News

"Georgia and the rest of the nation already have a general shortage of obstetricians, internists, pediatricians and family medicine doctors, especially in rural and urban areas. And things are getting worse. The Health Resources and Services Administration forecasts a shortage of 65,000 primary care physicians in the U.S. in 2020."

"In 2010, David Reuben wrote that if primary care was to be once again an attractive specialty to pursue, simply increasing the reimbursement levels would not be enough. Rather, the working conditions and job content would also have to change. A strong primary care workforce is crucial to improving the quality of care in this country and ensuring an economically sustainable system."

"Registration is now open for the 2012 Medical Education Futures Study (MEFS) conference, 'Beyond Flexner: Social Mission in Medical Education.'"

'"Collaborating Across Borders,' an international conference on interprofessional education (IPE) held in Tucson, Arizona from November 19-21, drew more than 750 attendees, including health care professionals, educators, policymakers and leaders in the field— the largest-ever gathering of experts on this topic."

"One of the major features of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the idea of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The final regulations from Medicare were issued in October, 2011, so the creation of ACOs seems to be moving forward. ACOs will be groups of primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, and possible other providers who act together to provide comprehensive care, and receive either more money from Medicare (and probably, eventually, other payers) or, at least, smaller reductions in payments. The only thing that is definitely required to form an ACO is a group of primary care doctors, but since groups of primary care doctors rarely have sufficient capital to fund the necessary infrastructure, so it is likely that almost all will include at least one hospital."

"Hello, I am Eli Adashi, professor of medical science at Brown University and host of Medscape One-on-One. Joining me today is Dr. Mary Wakefield, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA is committed to improving access to healthcare services for some of our nation's most vulnerable citizens. Welcome."

"The US is facing a major crisis in the cost of health care. Corrected for inflation, health expenditures in the public sector are nearly doubling each decade, and those in the private sector are increasing even more rapidly. According to virtually all economists, this financial burden, which is now consuming about 17 percent of our entire economic output (far more than in any other country), cannot be sustained much longer. The federal share, including payments for Medicare and Medicaid, was 23 percent of the national budget in 2009 and is a prime cause of the deficit."

"With Michigan facing a projected shortage of doctors and nurses, a movement is gaining steam to make better use of certain health professionals. State legislators have been working on bills that would expand the responsibilities of some mid-level nurses and physicians' assistants. And last week, Governor Rick Snyder called for a review of the state public health code, in part to officially enhance the roles of what he calls 'physician extenders.' WKAR's Mark Bashore takes a look."

"The South Dakota State University College of Nursing received a $1.09 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen the quality and delivery of rural nursing education. The grant addresses simulation, informatics and technology enhancement over the next three years."