Solving the physician shortage: Secrets to recruiting and retaining providers

The looming physician shortage, especially in primary care, was a topic of conversation in healthcare circles long before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law. Estimates as to the extent of the problem vary–from a predicted shortfall of 52,000 primary care physicians to more recent reports that the industry overestimated the crisis.

For the most part, healthcare organizations are able to accommodate increased patients, according to a report from Kaiser Health News. But because awareness of and enrollment in health exchanges continues to grow, some groups believe access difficulties lie ahead. “We have not felt the full impact of it yet,” David Fleming, president of the American College of Physicians, told KHN. “We are going to see a substantial increase in volume and it is going to be a problem because there are not enough primary care doctors.”

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