Years in the making, North Country HealthCare is developing a Family Medicine Residency Program. The need has never been higher, the solution never clearer, and the opportunity never better to develop the only Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education covering the northern third of Arizona, including Indian Country. Unique in its location and model (the only Community Health Center owned residency in state), this program will be a bellwether health professions and medical education program for the Flagstaff community, region, state and nation.
The physician shortage facing our nation and Northern Arizona is a serious issue. Overall, Arizona ranks 49th in per capita health services employment, according to the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA). Over the next 15 years, the national physician shortage is projected to exceed 130,000, with Arizona alone being just shy of 3,000. Major factors driving the shortage are: population growth, an aging population, an increase in chronic disease and health system delivery changes. The problem is even more severe in rural communities throughout Northern Arizona. Fewer and fewer medical schools are graduating students who are entering into “primary care” specialty residency programs (family medicine, pediatrics, general internal medicine and geriatrics). Arizona currently needs 891 primary care physicians to meet the current national rate. This shortage will have a negative impact on economic development efforts and quality of life in Arizona.
Studies have shown the importance of healthcare services, particularly in rural communities, for developing new industries, recruiting new businesses and attracting new residents. Primary economic impacts will be less incentive for business expansion (businesses hesitate to move into regions in which employees will have limited access to healthcare services) and loss of economic opportunities (it is well established that one primary care physician has a direct economic benefit to a community of more than $1 million). Above all else, physician shortages have a dire consequence on the quality of life for individuals and communities. Decreased access to care has many immediate (longer wait times when scheduling doctor appointments) and long-term health consequences. Primary care physicians, especially Family Medicine, are the backbone of the health system. As a broad-based specialty covering prenatal care, delivering babies, taking care of infants, children, adolescents and adults of all ages, in office, hospital and assisted living settings, family medicine physicians are well suited to meet healthcare needs in rural and frontier areas.
The solution to addressing this is to develop medical education programs in physician specialties of highest need, in places of highest need, using innovative models. Addressing this shortage requires an expansion of the physician training pipeline, which includes medical schools and residency programs. North Country is already addressing the medical school portion with its partnership with AT Still University (sponsors 30 medical students), plus extensive partnerships with other medical schools (most notably, the University of Arizona) and other health professions. However, one of the best predictors of where physicians will practice is where they trained in residency. This new Family Medicine program will be one of a kind in the state. It will help meet regional and statewide primary care workforce needs, increase access to care, develop a culturally attuned physician workforce, have far-reaching economic impacts and address long-standing health disparities. FBN
North Country HealthCare serves as the medical home for nearly 50,000 people throughout Northern Arizona, 20,000 who reside in Flagstaff and the surrounding area. North Country HealthCare accepts Medicare, AHCCCS, commercial insurance and offers a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. If you are in need of a medical home, North Country has a large and diverse provider team and is always accepting new patients.
Sean Clendaniel, MPH, is the Director of Education and Technology and Compliance Officer at North Country HealthCare.