Issue link: http://kusm-wichita.uberflip.com/i/260728
The study, conducted by researchers at George Washington University and the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, ranked Kansas University School of Medicine –Wichita (KUSM–W) sixth nationwide for the number of graduates who practice primary care. Researchers looked at 159 institutions with more than 150 graduates, between the years 2006 and 2008. Physician shortage looms Recent figures compiled by the American Association of Medical Colleges reveal that nearly 60 percent of primary care physicians in Kansas are over 45, and a third are over 50. This coincides with the aging of the general population, which means ever- increasing demand for medical services and ever-declining numbers of providers. Nationally, an estimated 52,000 additional primary care physicians will be needed by 2025. Primary care is front-line medicine. They're the family doctors, general internists, and pediatricians who treat new illnesses, manage chronic diseases, and prevent new ones from developing. Studies indicate that access to primary care leads to better health and lower cost. Part of the difficulty in meeting primary care needs results from incentives that steer young doctors into subspecialties. Primary care physicians, on average, earn half that of their peers who specialize. And primary care doctors tend to work longer hours. The role of residency training Residency (also called graduate medical education or GME) plays a huge role in shaping the physician workforce. Approximately 112,000 residents and fellows train in 150 sites across the country. Medicare, Medic- aid, and other sources provide $13 billion in public funding for this training each year. Given the size of taxpayer investment, many experts believe the system needs to do a better job of addressing the public's health needs. Specifically in producing more primary care providers. In fact, the bulk of federal funding for GME is directed to those institutions that produce the fewest primary care doctors. Between 2006 and 2008, the 20 schools that produced the highest percentage of primary care practitioners received $292 million in GME funding, while the 20 schools with the fewest primary care graduates received $842 million. Kansas doctors are retiring. Our aging population's medical needs are increasing. Our work has never been more vital. ''Everybody agrees we have to do something about the production of family doctors in this society. We know that healthcare systems work better if there's a broad base of primary care physicians.'' Rick Kellerman, M.D., chair of KUSM–W's Department of Family and Community Medicine National ranking shows KU School of Medicine –Wichita leads in producing primary care doctors. TOP 2 3