FRESNO (KMJ) — The Central Valley is expected to be one of the areas most affected by a statewide shortfall of primary care providers over the next 15 years. The research from UCSF also anticipates a need for 4,100 additional medical experts across California by 2030.
The report by the college’s Healthforce Center (click here), is described as the first time joint projections of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants have been made in California.
Other parts of the state predicted to face acute shortages include the Central Coast and the Southern Border. The research suggests it’s down to an uneven distribution of care across the state
“While the overall findings of physician shortages are now becoming apparent for the entire State of California, what becomes true in the study is that they notice that there’s already regional problems in areas in the Central Valley,” adds Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula.
“That’s something that I knew personally from practicing medicine and the impetus for us to be introducing AB207 and looking for common sense solutions.”
AB207 would grant CSU Fresno the ability to award medical degrees, in a bid to counter the physician shortage. It is set to be brought up for discussion in January 2018.
“What I would like to look at is how we would partner with the UCs to do what is called a distributive model, where you do your first few years at a UC campus – UC Davis, UC San Francisco for example, UC Merced if they opened up a medical school – then you would do your clinical rotations, your third and fourth year at medical school, at an area that had needs.”
The UCSF report says there are multiple strategies needed to fill the potential gap, with suggestions including active recruitment and expanding residency programs.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
