Richard A. Cooper, M.D., director of New York Institute of Technology's Center for the Future of the Healthcare Workforce, is available to discuss the national physician shortage.
Cooper has written widely on physician work force issues. His recent viewpoint, "Unraveling the Physician Supply Dilemma" was published this week in JAMA. In it, he calls for the need to consider several options: increasing the amount of residency training slots, changing the U.S. requirements for internationally-trained physicians, shortening the residency training duration in some specialties.
"If residency programs had not been capped in 1997 and annual growth in the number of positions had continued at its preexisting rate, there would be no physician shortages today," says Cooper.
"Now, more than 15 years later, there is little that can be done to materially correct the near-term situation, but it is imperative that some combination of strategies be undertaken for the long-term. To do nothing ignores powerful economic and demographic trends and leaves future generations to ponder why they and their loved ones must experience illness without access to competent and caring physicians."
Contact Elaine Iandoli at 516.686.4013 or [email protected] to arrange an interview with Cooper.
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