1. Doctors Wanted: Today’s Landscape for rural Physician recruitment
Chris Scoggins, M.P.H.
Instructor, Department of Community Medicine
Director, Mercer Community Preceptor Network
Assistant Director, Community Outreach and Population Health
Mercer University School of Medicine

2. Overview Current Trends Challenges Strategies for Success
What we are doing to make things better…

3. Current Trends

4. 2030 is coming…
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) predicts significant physician shortages in the coming decade.
Estimates suggest that the size of the shortage could reach between 40,000 and 105,000 physicians by 2030.
The problem is exacerbated by the lengthy training process (7-12 years post college).
No specialty is immune.

7. Components of Supply and Demand
Healthcare Policy
By far the most unpredictable component of supply and demand.
ACA?
Medicare?
Medicaid?
Residency Funding?
Loan Repayment?
Visa Programs?

8. Components of Supply and Demand
Changing Healthcare Delivery Models
Accountable Care Organizations
Retail Clinics
Expanded scope of APRN and PA practice

9. Components of Supply and Demand
Physician choices
Work hours
Millennial physicians work 13% fewer hour per week on average
Good or Bad?
Retirement
33% of all physicians will be 65 or older in the next decade.
Retire early or later?

11. Components of Supply and Demand
Demographic Shifts (2030)
The number of citizens 65 and older will increase by 55%
The number of citizens 65 and older will increase by 73%
For comparison there the 18 and younger age group will see a 4% increase over the same period.
By % of rural Georgia Physicians will be 65 or older.
By far the largest driver of both Supply and Demand issues will be age demographics.

12. Components of Supply and Demand
Increases in workforce diversity are helping.
Women and underrepresented minorities are slowly but steadily becoming a larger part of the physician workforce.
Women represented 23% of medical students in In 2003 Women accounted for 51% of all medical students.
In Georgia women account for 31% of the physician workforce.

15. So what about here in Georgia?
Nationally there are 245 physicians for every 100,000 people.
Presently the Georgia has 20,492 physicians or roughly 206 per 100,000 residents.
In rural areas the rate falls to 135 per 100,000 or a little over half the national average.
There are currently 11 counties in Georgia without a Family Physician representing an unserved population of almost 59,000 people.

16. Challenges

17. Competition
Competition is coming from many places… and it will continue to get tougher.
Urban areas
Neighboring states
Large health systems

18. Graduate Medical Education Bottleneck
Georgia produces 615 residency graduates each year.
Georgia’s 5 medicals schools graduate 594 MD/DO graduates per year.
Medical school enrolments increased by 57% from while GME positions have not kept pace.
Georgia is a net exporter of physicians.
*2013 Georgia Board for Physician Workforce data

19. Money Average medical student debt is $190,000.*
Studies have shown debt influences specialty choice and practice location choice.
Loan repayment is a common tool for recruitment
*Association of American Medical Colleges

20. Stereotypes and Misconceptions
Quality of life
Compensation
Professional prestige

21. Strategies for Success

22. Strategy is Key You must have a holistic strategic plan
A good strategy will work will address your needs at multiple levels
Good data is key
Anticipate needs and start years in advance
Involve many community stakeholders

23. Involve The Entire Community
Make the economic argument.
A physician adds roughly $2 million to the local economy.
Gather as much support as possible before you recruit.
Sustain that support long after the recruiting is done.
Be creative and stand out.

24. Thinking about the future

25. Our Mission
To educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia.

26. Hands on Experience in Rural Georgia
Population Health Curriculum
Exposing every student to rural primary care
Student projects that impact communities
4th Year Elective Rotations
Additional exposure to rural communities and practice
Rural Clerkship Opportunities
Prolonged exposures that focus on a particular specialty

27. Building a Physician Pipeline
Grade school to practice.
Involving partners at all levels
Identify future professionals
Support them at every level
Build opportunities that foster home grown talent

28. Nathan Deal Scholars
Scholarship program based on a commitment to rural practice.
Scholarship covers % of tuition.
Support program is integral to the scholarship
Business Training
Leadership Training
Career Advising
Community Outreach

29. Questions?