1. The Primary Care Shortage, the Uninsured and It’s Impact on Chronic Diseases
Presented by:
Vernice Davis Anthony
President and CEO
Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC)
October 14, 2010

2. About the Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC)
Regional multi-stakeholder organization representing over 65 companies and organizations
Mission focus on health care quality, access and cost
Long history of sustainability and regional effectiveness
Influences change through partnership and collaboration
Regional and national credibility and visibility

3. GDAHC Vision and Mission
Vision for Southeastern Michigan
Healthy people, healthy economy
GDAHC Mission
Uniting and leveraging stakeholders to drive collaborative improvements in healthcare quality, cost effectiveness and access to care across southeast Michigan.

4. The Problem : Primary Care Shortage
Projections indicate that Michigan will face a shortage of physicians by 2020.
Growth in the demand for physicians will outpace growth
in the supply of physicians.
What’s Happening?
Increase in the number of elderly
Aging physician workforce
Rising demand for healthcare services
Decline in the number of medical students
entering primary care

6. Feeling the Strain
The elderly, the poor, rural residents, and residents who are already medically underserved would face even greater challenges as a result of
a physician shortage.
Limited or lack of access
Further distances to travel to reach a doctor
Long wait times

7. Feeling the Strain – The Uninsured
The uninsured receive less preventive care and recommended screenings than the insured.
Receiving needed care is especially important for the uninsured since they are generally not as healthy as those with private coverage.
Adults who have been uninsured for more than one year are three to four times more likely to have not received recommended breast cancer screenings or to have not had their blood pressure checked.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, kkf.org

8. Feeling the Strain – The Uninsured
The new health reform law will strengthen coverage for preventive care and aims to improve health care coordination, which will help the uninsured gain access to needed services once they become insured.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, kkf.org
However, experts warn that there will not be enough doctors to take care of the newly insured.

9. Will Healthcare Reform Help?
The healthcare law contains numerous provisions to:
improve access by increasing the supply of needed health workers, particularly primary care practitioners
increase efficiency and effectiveness by encouraging systems redesign
address problems of mal-distribution

10. Will Healthcare Reform Help?
Improve the quality of care through improved education and training
Establish an infrastructure to collect and disseminate better data and information to inform public and private decision making around the supply, education and training and use of health workers

11. Solutions and Opportunities
The utilization of physician assistants and nurse practitioners
The implementation of patient-centered medical homes
The coordinated expansion of healthcare coverage to the uninsured as a result of healthcare reform
A change in attitude of medical students regarding primary care
Increase in payment and incentives for primary care through payment reform

12. Local Opportunities Michigan Primary Care Consortium
Greater Detroit Area Health Council
Detroit Wayne County Health Authority
Others?

13. Thank you.