More Healthcare Workers, Less Burnout
We need more physicians, nurses, care-providers, and medical professionals - that’s one reality that hasn’t been up for debate in healthcare for decades, but has become glaringly evident in the past year. COVID-19 has rocked the world and tested the capacities of our nation’s healthcare professionals, all of whom have put themselves on the frontline in the battle against this pandemic. We owe it to them, for this battle and the next, to ensure they have the support and resources they require to keep us safe.
Problem
On average, a physician's schedule is fully booked for the next 24 days. In other words, if you discovered you needed to consult a doctor today, that medical professional likely won’t be able to see you for nearly a month..
As a result of a growing population and a retiring medical workforce, we are requiring an increase in healthcare services that are becoming harder and harder to meet. A study conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects that the United States will see a physician shortfall of 54,100 - 139,000 by 2033. With medical school admissions only up by a modest 7 percent over the last 5 years, we are not on track to tackling this shortage. Making matters worse, this growing threat to our health & safety is being ignored by leadership despite growing calls for change.
Our Plan
Our representatives need to be expanding our solutions, providing new and innovative ways to ensure we have enough doctors, nurses, and medical experts to give every citizen the healthcare and support they desire.
Mobilize more non-physician clinicians to help fill the demand for primary care services by encouraging states to grant clinicians greater scopes of practice, which allows more patients to be seen.
Invest in telehealth and Artificial Intelligence to increase accessibility both in rural and urban areas.
Expand upon the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act which included the following:
Charging telehealth services at the same rate of in-person services.
Waiving most Medicare payment requirements.
Creating HIPAA exceptions for providers to lessen the legal liability that comes when calling a patient.
Hire more internationally-educated physicians.
Support the relaxation of the Trump administration's harsh immigration laws, and H-1B visas in particular, which restrict the ability of internationally educated physicians to practice in the United States.
This Matters
A physician shortage impacts all of us. While problems presented by the physician shortage are currently more pronounced in underserved communities, everyone is impacted when we can’t provide quality healthcare to our entire population. Along with increased patient wait times, we know our healthcare workers acutely feel the burnout from workforce shortages. After all they do for us, we need to put our frontline healthcare workers in a position to be successful.