NCHC

National Coalition On Health Care

  • About Us
    • Members and Supporters
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Annual Reports
  • Policy
    • COVID-19 Response
    • Make Prescription Drugs More Affordable
    • Eliminate Surprise Medical Billing
    • Make Health Care Affordable and Accessible
    • Promote a High-Value Health Care System that Supports Vulnerable Populations
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Newsroom
    • Press Releases
    • NCHC In The News
    • Policy Correspondence
    • Fact Sheets & Issue Briefs
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Member
    • Become a Funder
  • Contact Us
  • Special Projects
    • NCHC Round Table Series on Health Care Affordability and Transparency

Deadlines loom for key components to addressing U.S. primary care shortage

September 27, 2017 By National Coalition on Health Care

Tweet
Share

by Associate Policy Director Emily Haas

 

Sustaining a strong and resilient primary care workforce is essential to improving patient access to care and winning the battle against chronic disease—the central threat to health care affordability. The impact of the primary care shortage on both providers and patients has been huge, and lessening this impact must continue to be a federal priority beyond September 30th.

When physicians are trained in the communities, they are more likely to stay in these communities—many of which are underserved areas. When physicians fill these provider gaps, they can contribute great value to overall population health management as governments and stakeholders alike seek to find new ways to improve population health with targeted interventions. Primary care providers are essential to the betterment of population health.

A fact sheet released by the Coalition highlights the importance of key workforce policies to primary care and is a part of the NCHC’s overall strategy and policy of strengthening primary care.

Last week, NCHC along with partners AAFP, ACP, NACHC, and AOA hosted a briefing stressing the important role played in  primary care by federal  workforce and health center programs. The need for action to preserve existing federal support for the Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC), National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education programs is a vital one.

Speakers from all three organizations illustrated the value of these programs and the need to reauthorize funding. Jack Ende, M.D. of ACP made the argument for investing in primary care by noting that U.S. adults with primary care providers have lower odds of premature death and overall have 33% lower health costs. Furthermore, states with higher ratios of primary care doctors have better health outcomes and decreased Medicare expenditures.

Clif Knight, M.D. highlighted the maldistribution of primary care doctors in his presentation. An increase of one primary care physician per 10,000 people is associated with an average mortality reduction of 5.3%, or 49 fewer deaths per 100,000 per year.

Maria Verduzco, M.D. shared her personal experience as an NHSC recipient and someone who has long been a part of the community she serves. She returned to her home of Yakama, WA after medical school   to train at the local Teaching Health Center. Dr. Verduzco’s story is a prime example of the system working—training physicians where they are needed most and keeping them there.  She also spoke to the important role community health centers play in addressing the primary care needs of an underserved population.

John Sealey, D.O.—also a product of the NHSC program—discussed his experience with underserved populations in the Detroit area and their partnerships with local universities. As a part of his work, Dr. Sealey runs a Teaching Health Center that requires residents receive a 2-year population health certification. This is a prime example of how the THCGME program fosters innovation in the primary care space and the integration of primary care with community-based services.

These important programs are set to expire in just a few days.

As emphasized through the speakers’ presentations, these programs have a direct impact on not only physician workforce and training but on patients. Thus, NCHC encourages Congress to act by reauthorizing funding for Federal Qualified Health Center, National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education programs.

 

See our letter to Congress in support of these programs here.

Reporter insights from the NCHC briefing:

  • MedPage Today: Another Deadline Looms: $$ for Doc Training
  • Fierce Healthcare: Federal training, reducing physician burnout keys to tackling the primary care doctor shortage, NCHC panel says

 

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Strengthening Primary Care

Mission

To bring together key stakeholders in order to achieve an affordable, high-value health care system for patients and consumers, for employers and other payers, and for taxpayers.

Signup for NCHC Newsletter

NCHC Recent Policy Correspondence

  • The Budget Reconciliation Process and NCHC Priorities in 2021
  • NCHC STATEMENT ON BICAMERAL AND BIPARTISAN SURPRISE BILLING LEGISLATION, “NO SURPRISES ACT,”
  • NCHC STATEMENT ON PART D REBATE SAFE HARBOR REPEAL AND “MOST FAVORED NATION” DEMONSTRATION
  • NCHC Statement On The Trump Administration’s “Most-Favored-Nation” Drug Pricing Executive Order
  • NCHC Statement on the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders
...More Policy Correspondence

National Coalition on Health Care

About Us

The National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC) was formed more than two decades ago to help achieve comprehensive health system change. We aim to be a leader in promoting a healthy population and a more effective, efficient and responsive health system that provides quality care for all. NCHC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of organizations. Our growing Coalition represents more than 80 participating organizations, including medical societies, businesses, unions, health care providers, faith-based associations, pension and health funds, insurers, and groups representing consumers, patients, women, minorities and persons with disabilities. … Read More...

Interim CEO

Shawn Martin

CHAIRMAN

Jack Lewin
Principal and Founder
Lewin and Associates, LLC

MISSION

To bring together key stakeholders in order to achieve an affordable, high-value health care system for patients and consumers, for employers and other payers, and for taxpayers.

CONTACT US

900 16th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20006
contactus@nchc.org

Connect With NCHC

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent News & Posts

  • All Payer Claims Databases and Health Care Affordability
  • National Coalition on Health Care and West Health, The Burden of High Drug Prices on Communities of Color
  • NCHC ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT OF PRESIDENT JOHN ROTHER
  • NCHC & West Health Hill Briefing: The Burden of High Drug Prices Among Communities of Color
  • Reference Pricing: A Bipartisan Solution to High Hospital Prices?

Recent Tweets

Tweets by NC_HC

Copyright © 2022 · Outreach Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in