Page 40 - WesternU View Summer 2019

WesternU vital in helping

close the health workforce

gap in California

By Jeff Malet

PA student Ana Valdovinos, left, COMP student Anthony McCloud and
MSN-FNP student Jessica Garner.

recent report by the California Future Health About 75% of California resident physicians stay in the
AWorkforce Commission said that to avoid a looming state to practice, according to data from the Society of
health care crisis, California will need to ensure the state Teachers of Family Medicine.
has enough doctors, physician assistants, nurses and home
Wilson said California has myriad health care and health
care workers in the coming years — a situation Western
sciences educational institutions available to help meet
University of Health Sciences is uniquely positioned to
this demand. Nurses, nurse practitioners and physician
address.
assistants are “priority professions” that warrant special
According to the report, a $3 billion plan is needed to attention because of the broad range of health care
avoid the looming crisis, and it will need the support of services they provide.
California’s new governor, legislators, and a broad
“Like its nonprofit counterparts throughout the state,
spectrum of stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
WesternU is training the next generation of health care
The core challenge is that California does not have
providers using state-of-the-art innovative educational
enough of the right types of health workers in the right
strategies to prepare them for the changing landscape of
places to meet the needs of its growing, aging, and
future primary health care delivery, all without direct
increasingly diverse population.
public support,” Wilson said. “WesternU and its
California has historically underfunded residency educational brethren throughout California will continue
positions in medicine and other professions, according to to serve key roles in powerful public-private partnerships
the report. California ranks No. 32 in the nation. From needed to fill – most efficiently and cost-effectively – the
1997 to 2012, the annual number of physicians growing shortage of health professionals, even as we help
graduating from primary care residencies in California ensure high-quality, accessible health care for the well-
has steadily declined. California will need to increase the being of all.”
number of graduates by 30% to alleviate current and
Paula Crone, DO, Dean of WesternU’s College of
projected shortages, according to the report.
Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, said the escalating
More residencies must be established and funded in need for health care in underserved communities and the
California to ensure more doctors and psychiatrists stay predicted shortage of physicians by 2030 are driving a list
here, which will benefit the future health of Californians, of targeted strategies for COMP.
said WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD.
“The emerging physician shortage is a complex problem

that is compounded by an inadequate supply of residency

38 | WESTERNU VIEW Summer/Fall 2019