The New Jersey Physician Workforce Policy Task Force wants to prevent “an unprecedented shortfall” in the number of physicians in the state available to treat patients.
Research performed by the task force reveals that New Jersey is facing large future shortages in both primary care and several specialty areas. By 2020, the task force projects a shortfall of over 2,800 additional physicians beyond the current physician graduate medical education (GME) production pipeline.
This represents a 12 percent gap in the physician supply, compared to the likely population demand for services. The shortage consists of approximately 1,000 primary care physicians and 1,800 specialists.
The task force, comprised of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals (NJCTH), has called for the establishment of a new state Center for Medical and Health Workforce Planning to address the issue. The task force has also requested new state and federal support, as well as a revision of existing programs over the next decade to promote physician-training efforts.
“We need to focus on the factors that are most responsible for this,” said J. Richard Goldstein, MD, president and CEO of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals.
A single physician can have a positive $12 million impact on a community, per year, Goldstein said. This includes referrals to other physicians and the hiring of staff.
Goldstein contends that the two top reasons for the New Jersey physician shortage are: no caps on medical malpractice, and the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rates in the United States.
“If these factors could be improved, that alone would have a dramatic affect on the physician morale in New Jersey,” said Goldstein.
With the third-oldest physician population in the United States, it’s important for New Jersey to retain and attract physicians, Goldstein said, noting that there are a variety of financial incentives that can be offered to encourage physician retention, such as loan forgiveness and grants to work in the state.
The proposed Center for Medical and Health Workforce Planning would guide the allocation of state resources based on workforce needs, track physician and advanced practice provider shortages to determine GME and other funding priorities, manage “vacant” resident positions, and direct funds to the individual programs with greatest impact on workforce retention and recruitment.
“This is about being prepared for the future,” said Robert Garrett, president and CEO of Hackensack University Medical Center and chair of the NJCTH Board of Trustees. “If we take the steps we need to and implement a thoughtful strategy, New Jersey can not only meet its physician needs, but be an example for the nation.”