The Association of American Medical Colleges projects the U.S. could face a deficiency of 46,000 to 90,000 physicians in just 10 years. This issue is particularly acute in Arizona, as the state is ranked 34th in total active physicians per 100,000 residents, according to an op-ed penned by four healthcare executives in AZ Central.
The authors of the piece are the leaders of four healthcare organizations that are partnering to address the demand for more physicians in the state. Two Phoenix-based health systems and a family physician practice — Maricopa Integrated Health System, Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and District Medical Group — are partnering with Omaha, Neb.-based Creighton University School of Medicine to increase the number of practicing physicians in Arizona.
"The best way to address the physician shortage is to increase medical school enrollments and to add graduate medical education slots to our teaching hospitals," the authors wrote.
The four-way partnership aims to develop new academic and clinical education programs in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and allied health through the creation of a collaboration, tentatively called the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance, according to the article.
Although formal agreements have not yet been executed, plans are in progress for the early partnership of residency and fellowship programs to begin July 1, 2017, following approval from the national accrediting organization. Along with the alliance partners, Creighton University would launch an accelerated nursing program by January 2018, which would require state approval.
Creighton University has served as an academic hub for Phoenix for more than a decade, sending medical students to St. Joseph's for clinical rotations, according to the article. While the Creighton relationship with the Arizona healthcare organizations will be expanded under the partnership, it will continue to offer educational training to students for several other universities and programs.