The physician shortage is considered a serious issue that local leaders say will take “all hands on deck” to solve. Those leaders, medical professionals and patient advocates held a round table discussion Friday to find solutions.
The Association of American Medical Colleges expects the U.S. will be short up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 — with much of that in primary care.
“You’ll probably know if you’re a patient coming up to get a primary physician the wait is three to six months to see somebody. So access becomes really significant. And access is exemplified on the under served community,” explained Dr. Alfred Abuhamad, executive vice president at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, Dean of Eastern Virginia Medical School. “So our most under served communities will be really impacted the most with the physician shortages we see coming up in the future.”
Watch: No luck finding a primary care doctor in Hampton Roads? You’re not alone.
No luck finding a primary care doctor in Hampton Roads? You’re not alone.