physician shortage

April 6, 2011—Legislation sponsored by Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) would allow retired medical professionals to provide volunteer medical services during governor-declared emergencies without requiring licensure or certification. Read More >>

November 9, 2010 -- State Rep. Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) wants the medical profession to renounce specialization and instead create “new models of generalist healthcare workers who can work across their licenses.” Read More >>

August 18, 2010 -- Despite the surging demand for primary care physicians, the supply limps along. And there’s no shortage of ideas for closing the gap. They range from capping academic specialty programs to loan forgiveness when graduates choose to practice as generalists. Read More >>

August 11, 2010 -- It’s not news that Oregon faces a shortage of primary care physicians, particularly in rural areas. Recruiting new physicians to family care -- frequently with longer hours and lower pay than other specialties -- has always been a challenge, but is even more difficult in a less than stellar economic climate. Read More >>

May 19, 2010 -- Serious discussions are under way about creating a new category of dental care providers to deal with the impending shortage of dentists, similar to efforts in Minnesota and Alaska. But the Oregon Dental Association is raising red flags. Read More >>

March 3, 2010 – Score one for Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Portland) during the February special session. Kotek breathed new life back into a bill to draw more primary care physicians to Oregon by helping repay their student loans. Read More >>

February 24, 2010 -- The Oregon Office of Rural Health at Oregon Health & Science University has received a grant from the National Health Service Corp (NHSC) to help primary care providers in rural and underserved urban areas repay their loans. Read More >>

January 28, 2010 -- Robin Henderson knows first hand that central Oregon has a shortage of psychiatrists, which is why she believes giving psychologists the ability to prescribe mental health drugs is the right idea. Read More >>

January 28, 2010 -- Primary care physicians are abandoning their practices in Salem. It all boils down to money. Read More >>

January 6, 2010 -- Fifty years ago over half of medical school graduates became general practitioners, general internists or general pediatricians. Today subspecialty training dominates by a ratio of almost 7:1. Read More >>