About a third of Californians live in areas where there is a shortage of primary care providers, according to the California Healthcare Foundation. The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas and in the rapidly growing Inland Empire, which has only about 40 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. For patients, a short supply of doctors can mean months-long waits for appointments and more trips to urgent care for chronic conditions. And for in-demand providers, burnout looms. We’ll learn about plans to address the shortage and hear about your experiences finding a primary care professional.
Guests:
Arturo Bustamante, professor of health policy and management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Timothy Collins, incoming CEO, UC Riverside Health
Sunita Mutha, general internist providing primary care; professor of medicine and director, Healthforce Center at UCSF
Nate McLaughlin, family medicine doctor; program director, Family Medicine Program, Riverside University Health Services/UC Riverside