Physician supply lags behind patient demand nationally and across Missouri.

On April 17, The Beacon spoke virtually with McKenzie Richards, a health care policy fellow from Cicero Institute and Michael Wacker, Senior Associate Dean and Director of the UMKC School of Medicine Regional Medical Campus in St. Joseph, Missouri, about the data, challenges and possible solutions to the primary care shortage in Missouri.

If you missed the session and are interested in listening in, you can view it on Facebook.

Key Takeaways

• Medical workforce aging, a growing population and burnout are contributing to the shortage. In Missouri, 32% of physicians have reached retirement range, according to information provided by Cicero. 
• In rural areas, there aren’t enough programs to support a potential influx of medical students who may want to practice there. 
• Rates of burnout, talent retention and physician satisfaction are leading challenges for rural and urban communities when it comes to primary care.
• There is a need for more educational programs and investment into the physician pipeline. 

Richards is among health care researchers exploring ways states can expand the practice authority of other medical professionals, like pharmacists and nurse practitioners, so less of the burden falls on overworked physicians. 

In 27 states, we learned that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) operate under a full practice authority, but Missouri is not one of them. 

Missouri requires a collaborative practice agreement which limits what nurses are able to do and where.

We also learned that pharmacists are qualified to do a lot of work that primary care physicians can in some states. Leaning more on the expertise and training of pharmacists could be a solution to combat primary care shortages, especially in rural areas. 

Our Missouri rural health reporter, Meg Cunningham, also mentioned some of these takeaways and topics a bit more in depth in her story about, “Primary care shortage has an outsized impact on rural Missouri,” prior to this listening session.

If you are interested in connecting more with our rural health reporter about primary care shortages or other health-related topics, please reach out to meg@thebeacon.media.