Latest news with #physicianShortage
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Turbulence in the Oncology Workforce: A Silver Lining
Physicians are in the midst of a tectonic shift in workforce patterns that could have ramifications lasting decades. In a few short months, the current administration has implemented policies that will drastically reduce federal funding for academic science. These massive cuts include hundreds of terminated grants and slashed funding for 'indirect costs' for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant recipients. Alongside the federal budget cuts, entire divisions of the NIH and National Science Foundation are also being reorganized. Clinicians at many academic institutions have been advised to prepare for uncertainty, while physicians and scientists have been instructed to restrict research hiring and spending, even terminate staff without existing grants or contracts. On top of that, entire global health programs have been decimated, and 'reduction in force' emails at the FDA, CDC, or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have left many experts without a job. However, amid this turbulence and confusion, there's a potential silver lining. The assaults on research funding and government programs may inadvertently help address a major issue: the physician shortage. As many of my colleagues at academic institutions contemplate their next move, I suspect that oncologists may find themselves returning to full-time clinical practice and patient care. And that may not be a bad thing. Prior to the Trump administration's policies, the proportion of clinicians-hours spent seeing patients had declined nearly 8% over a decade. The number of doctors who spent most of their time seeing patients had dropped considerably as well. In fact, a 2024 survey from the American Medical Association found that over 35% of physicians expressed at least some interest in leaving clinical practice altogether. This, coupled with a massive influx of physicians entering retirement, is likely to exacerbate a growing physician shortage problem. But what if more of us now choose to increase our time in the clinic or start practicing full time? For many of my colleagues who cannot sustain a non-clinical career, I think that a return to full-time patient care will be a practical, even enticing move. And considering the shortages of physicians across almost all specialties, including oncology, doctors seeking refuge in clinical practice would be a welcome development. Would I be content with a career that is increasingly more clinical? I think I would be. For me, clinical practice represents the ultimate refuge, the source of stability in a career that could otherwise be ruled by frequent career transitions encountered in the business world. The patient exam room is the one place where I can focus on a one-on-one relationship instead of the hustle and bustle of grant applications and administrative tasks. Since patient care is often a health system's top revenue source, if more oncologists return to full-time practice, we may have more leverage to negotiate solutions that reduce burnout, advance practice providers, or provide greater vacation time. I also suspect that many clinicians who choose to spend more time with patients will do so as part of a medical group or private practice — potentially reversing a decades-long trend of doctors leaving private practice to work as employed physicians. There are several tools that can help physicians make this transition easier. For one, the emergence of ambient artificial intelligence (AI) scribing may curb the exodus from clinical practice by reducing excessive documentation burdens. Instead of hyperbolic claims of AI 'replacing' physicians, I suspect that the AI revolution will simply provide physicians the necessary tools to be more efficient. The growth of telemedicine and remote patient care platforms is another enabling factor. The rise of these virtual clinics means that physicians are no longer limited by geographically boundaries when practicing medicine. Continuing COVID-era policies that allow physicians to practice across state lines would also help. If more physicians contemplate a return to their clinical roots, we have an opportunity to reshape the patient care experience in ways that both serve our communities and that create more sustainable clinical careers. The physician workforce has always been adaptable. Now, if we can find our way back to the exam room, we will bring with us diverse experiences from research, policy, and business that can improve clinical practice. Perhaps the silver lining in today's uncertainty is the chance to rediscover what drew us to medicine in the first place — the profound privilege of caring for patients — while leveraging our broader perspectives to address the systemic issues that drove many away in the first place. The future of healthcare may depend on our ability to transform this moment of professional disruption into one of renewal and recommitment to our core mission.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Recruitment efforts intensify as physician shortage impacts central Ontario
As Orillia and surrounding communities continue to see growth, so does the need for family doctors. Melanie Delion, a physician recruiter for Orillia Lake Country Physician Recruitment (OLCPR) said the town is experiencing a growing need for comprehensive primary care physicians. A significant portion of the town is over the age of 55. 'We're estimating a shortage of about 15 to 17 family physicians for our community,' said Delion. 'Currently, according to our patient enrollment model data from the Ministry of Health, there's approximately 20,000 people unattached from a physician.' To help combat the doctor and nurse shortage, the province announced that they would expedite the process for U.S. doctors and nurses to work in the province. Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Orillia, Ont. on June 16, 2025. (CTV NEWS / Luke Simard) This would allow nurses to work in Canada before registering with the regulatory college. While this is welcoming news, there are concerns. Dr. Stephan Morris left the country to attend medical school in Australia. Eight years later after completing his fellowship and practicing, he made the decision to come home and work in the community he grew up in. Dr. Morris soon discovered the hurdles he would have to overcome to practice in his hometown. 'The primary hurdles are around licensing,' said Dr. Morris. 'The licensing process is very arduous, and expensive. It has taken me as a prepared candidate, over four months to become licensed to the point where I could work.' Dr. Morris added that the licensing process could take upwards of five months. 'You have to get licensed across three different legislative bodies,' said Dr. Morris. 'You have to get a billing number and all sorts of different things, so I'm actually at the end of that now and can work now, it's been about five months.' While Morris' initial reaction was positive to the news about American doctors, he believes the scope of where doctors are moving from should expand. 'We want to make sure that we can get people who also should be here, like Australians and people from Ireland to the UK, just as easily and just as practice ready, to get here as well,' he continued. While doctors, nurses, and physicians go through the process of becoming registered, the need for medical professionals will continue to climb. 'Twenty per cent of our physician population are over the age of 60 and they care for approximately 8,500 patients currently,' said Delion. 'So, there's approximately, 640 physicians in central Ontario that are over the age of 60, caring for about 875,000 patients.' Dr. Stephan Morris Dr. Stephan Morris left the country to attend medical school in Australia. Eight years later after completing his fellowship and practicing, he made the decision to come home and work in the community he grew up in, Orillia Ont. on June 16, 2025. (CTV NEWS / Luke Simard) Delion recruits' physicians for OLCPR including Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital, she said its competitive to recruit physicians across the country and are taking proactive steps to recruit more to central Ontario. 'We have formalized Central Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance, which is an alliance across our region that includes Midland, Muskoka, Orangeville, Alliston and Clearview as well as ourselves,' said Delion. 'And we work with the candidate collaboratively.' The town has set aside $500,000 for The Orillia and Lake Country Physician Recruitment if they provide a business plan and quarterly updates. The money will go directly towards the recruitment of bringing physicians to the region. 'We can help you if you're coming from another country, we can help you with some of those licensing fees, we can help you out to entice you to roster patients,' said Delion. 'That is the goal with this, our hope is that we can recruit five to eight family physicians. Ideally, attaching up to 9,600 patients.' Dr. Morris has completed the process to become a registered physician and now works at Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital. He hopes to help future physicians going through the process. 'You don't want to have to see people do that and you want to always be bringing doctors, nurses, whoever to your community,' said Dr. Morris. 'So, we should work together once you're through that to get those barriers down.' Dr. Morris plans to open his own family practice in Orillia by the end of the year.
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Doctor Wait Times Average One Month In U.S.
Patients are waiting an average of 31 days to schedule an appointment with a doctor, according to a ... More study by AMN Healthcare of commonly used specialty physicians in 15 major U.S. cities. Patients are waiting an average of 31 days to schedule an appointment with a doctor, according to a study of commonly used specialty physicians in 15 major U.S. cities. This year's report by AMN Healthcare shows a 19% increase from 2022 when patients waited an average of 26 days in major U.S. cities. The 2025 survey polled more than 1,300 physician offices looking at average wait time among six specialties: obstetrics/gynecology, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, gastroenterology, and family medicine. The report is also a snapshot into the nation's doctor shortage even in urban areas that are considered better staffed with physicians than rural areas. A report last month by the consulting firm Avalere commissioned by the Physicians Advocacy Institute said the number of independent physicians in rural areas fell 43% between January 2019 and January 2024. And the Association of American Medical Colleges says the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to a report the group released last year. AMN Healthcare said the metropolitan areas that made up the survey sampling have 'some of the highest physician-to-population ratios in the country.' 'It's a sobering sign for the rest of the country when even patients in large cities must wait weeks to see a physician,' said Leah Grant, president of AMN Healthcare's Physician Solutions division, formerly known as Merritt Hawkins. The increasing time to schedule an appointment comes as more Americans get health insurance and health systems and plans report pent up demand for physician services in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Average physician appointment wait times are the longest they have been since we began conducting the survey in 2004,' Grant said. 'Longer physician appointment wait times are a significant indicator that the nation is experiencing a growing shortage of physicians.' Here the wait times for the six specialists analyzed for the report. The AMN Healthcare survey includes data from 1,391 physician offices located in 15 metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
