The Blue Ribbon Physician Workforce Committee has launched a campaign to educate state and federal policymakers on the projected physician shortage. The committee commissioned New York State University 's Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies to perform a state-specific study of physician supply and demand. Denise Holmes, assistant dean for government relations for the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, recently presented preliminary results of the Michigan study.
Preliminary Results of the Michigan Physician Workforce Analysis
• Michigan currently has 30,000 active patient-care physicians and will need 38,000 physicians by 2020.
• Michigan will be 900 physicians short by 2010; 2,400 short by 2015; and 4,500 doctors short by 2020.
• Michigan is going to experience a more severe shortage of doctors than the nation as a whole. The United States will be 7.9 percent short, and Michigan will be 11.9 percent short.
• On the basis of population alone, Michigan should experience a shortfall of 2,814 physicians by 2020; this study projects a Michigan shortfall at 4,500 physicians by 2020.
• Michigan is losing physicians after graduation at much the same rate as are many of the northern states. New York has a very similar problem, despite being the largest producer and trainer of physicians in the United States.
• While Michigan 's primary care physician projections indicate physician supply will be adequate for demand until 2018, the specialist projections indicate that a shortage will begin in 2006.
The Blue Ribbon Committee convened about a year ago to create a comprehensive strategy that is supported by the four Michigan medical schools (University of Michigan School of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine); the State of Michigan, as represented by the Michigan Department of Community Health; the Council on Graduate Medical Education; and statewide associations and organizations impacted by physician supply concerns. Michigan's four medical school deans attended the briefing and each presented one component of the Committee's plan to meet the challenges related to increasing the number of physicians trained in Michigan .
• Robert Frank, M.D. - Wayne State University School of Medicine
Allow Michigan's teaching hospitals to train more physicians in Michigan by raising the cap on the number of residents and fellows eligible for Medicare reimbursement by 10 percent.
• Allen Lichter, M.D. - University of Michigan Medical School
Maintain commitment to Medicare indirect medical education financial assistance to support the nation's teaching hospitals.
• William Strampel , D.O. - Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Maintain federal commitment to the Medicaid program to prevent further cost shifting to already overburdened states.
• Marsha Rappley , M.D. - Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Adopt the Senate version of Title VII funding allocations to support programs that encourage distribution and diversity of our nation's health care workforce.
Michael Sandler, M.D., chair of the Michigan State Medical Society, offered summary comments and indicated the support of organized medicine. According to Blue Ribbon Physician Workforce Committee members, advanced briefing is the first step in their combined efforts to prepare an appropriate health-care workforce for Michigan. For more information or to participate in this effort, please contact Carol Parker Lee, MSU Institute for Health Care Studies, at (517) 432-8385.
Blue Ribbon Physician Workforce Committee Members
College of Human Medicine - Michigan State University
College of Osteopathic Medicine - Michigan State University
The University of Michigan Medical School
School of Medicine - Wayne State University
Council on Graduate Medical Education - rep: Henry Ford Hospital
Council on Graduate Medical Education - rep: Ingham Regional Medical Center
Michigan Department of Community Health
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth
Michigan Association of Health Plans
Michigan Health Council
Michigan Health and Hospital Association
Michigan Osteopathic Association
Michigan Primary Care Association
Michigan State Medical Society
Michigan State Area Health Education Center
MSU Institute for Health Care Studies