Physicians Alliance of CT CEO | Dr. David Simon, M.D. | Primary Care Shortage in Connecticut
Many states across the U.S., including Connecticut, are feeling a shortage of primary care providers (PCPs). The CEO of PACT, Dr. David Simon, recently discussed the implications of a dwindling healthcare workforce with Eyewitness News 3.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could be could in need of as many as 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. Dr. David Simon states to Eyewitness News 3, “It’s a very challenging field,” said Dr. Simon. “About the same amount of time they actually spend with the patients they have to spend almost twice that just documenting and taking care of all the things that are not directly related to patient care, whether it’s authorizations, medications, refills, etc., we go through a whole litany of things,” says Dr. Simon.
While fixing this issue won’t be easy, there are different solutions that schools like UConn and Quinnipiac University are implementing to entice new medical students to focus on primary care studies.
What exactly is causing the shortage of healthcare workers and what does it mean for patients? Let’s take a closer look at what’s driving these changes and how they might impact you. For the full story, continue reading here.