By ASHLEY MYERS HENDERSON

Doctors around the country rallied in Washington, D.C. last week to convince the federal government that immediate medical reforms are needed; otherwise, there will be a severe family doctor shortage by 2020.

A report released by the American Academy of Family Physicians cautions that every state across the country will have too few doctors in the next 14 years if current trends continue. Utah, which will need a 49 percent increase in family physicians, is among the worst prepared states in the country. Both Utah and North Carolina finished No. 44 in state preparedness rankings.

"The reason there will be a shortage of physicians is because of the changing face of medicine," said Mark Fotheringham, spokesman for the Utah Medical Association. "It's not the same ballgame as it used to be. It's more a business than a profession now. Not as many young people are attracted to the profession because it's a long, slow process to become a doctor, and you won't necessarily receive the rewards that people used to be guaranteed."

Fotheringham said it is the federal government's responsibility to decrease the number of liability claims that hurt so many doctors and discourage others from entering the profession.

"The federal government has been trying to pass medical liability reforms that would put a cap on the amount of money that can be awarded for pain and suffering," he said. "You would think that $250,000 would pay for any pain and suffering people endure. Unfortunately, there are too many lawyers in D.C. that oppose it and have kept it off the books."

According to the report, Utah has 682 doctors, 335 doctors less than the state's population will need in 14 years.

"Western States, and in particular Utah, are growing so fast," Fotheringham said. "People are moving inland because the cost of living is so much less. You no longer have to live where you do business. People can live anywhere. But as people move here, the number of doctors per patient decreases because there aren't enough doctors moving in."

The state is taking action, however, to help prepare itself for the impending doctor shortage.

The Utah Medical Education Council, a quasi-state government entity, has joined forces with the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare to expand high priority, high need residency in Utah said Gar Elison, spokesman for the council. The University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare gave the education council a combined $3 million that will provide for 48 additional doctors in training.

Additionally, the 2005 Utah State Legislature decided to award the council $300,000 annually for the next 10 years to promote doctor development.

The Association of American Medical Colleges has further called for a 30 percent expansion of medical school capacity and residency capacity in the United States, Elison said.

Lance Madigan, spokesman for the Utah County Department of Health, said that although the county's hands are tied, officials from the health department are trying to help the problem by offering internships for medical students.

But Fotheringham said he thinks that despite the steps being taken, the number of doctors will continue to decrease unless the Medicare problem is fixed.

"Medicare has an asinine policy," he said. "If Medicare doesn't have the money to pay, it cuts back the physicians profits. Essentially, the doctor ends up paying to see older patients. The problem won't go away unless this gets fixed. It's just asinine."

Copyright Brigham Young University 5 Oct 2006