Wyoming at risk of doctor shortage

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
A new study has found that Wyoming is the No. 1 state in danger of having a doctor shortage in coming years. The April 2019 study by TheSeniorList.com is accurate, according to Weston County Health Services CEO Maureen Cadwell. 
“There is a concern in recruiting primary care physicians in rural areas, and in Wyoming that is pretty much the entire state,” Cadwell said. “It is not just something we will face here in Weston County, but other facilities across the state struggle with attracting and retaining physicians.”  
According to the study, at 199 doctors per 100,000 people, Wyoming ranks 49th out of the 50 states. To make matters worse, the study says that 33.1% of the state’s doctors are nearing retirement age, making the state 42nd out of 50. and only 6.8 residents are enrolled in medical school programs in the state per 100,000, or 29th out of 50. The state’s combined score in the study is 140 points. TheSeniorList.com used the total points system to rank each state. With 140 points, Wyoming ranks No. 1, or at the bottom of the list. 
“The rankings were based on three factors: the current physician workforce in each state; the percentage of doctors nearing retirement age; and the proportion of medical residents nearing the end of their education,” the study states. 
Cadwell said that at least two physicians employed at Rapid City Regional Health’s clinic in Newcastle plan to retire in coming years, which contributes to concerns about a physician shortage in the community. 
“We are fortunate at the hospital to have three physicians and a nurse practitioner to cover our patients but we still need primary care physicians in the facility and area, and this is something both our board and the clinic are aware of,” Cadwell said. 
She said that having funds to help recruit and retain physicians would be a big help and that the Wyoming Hospital Board Association, of which Cadwell is a member, once had funds designated for that purpose but those funds were “cut a few years ago.” 
Part of the problem, Cadwell believes, is that people have grown accustomed to the conveniences of more populated areas. 
“Unfortunately, we have physicians visit and they bring their wife along. We get questions like how close is the nearest Wal-mart? Or where is the closest Target? Where can we shop? And we have to say 80 miles away either direction,” Cadwell said. “Unfortunately, that is a turnoff to a vast majority of people and finding a good mix is a challenge.” 
“There are just some people that like rural and some people that don’t,” Cadwell continued. “There are some people looking for more conveniences in their lives.” 
So what can be done to address this issue?
According to Cadwell, she and Rapid City Regional Health have looked at different options. She said that Nebraska State University has a rural training program for rural physicians. 
“Rural medicine is kind of its own specialty now. Doctors have to know a wide range of things when working in rural facilities,” Cadwell said. “I don’t think people realize the vast amount of knowledge and experience they have to have. You can’t be a new physician that doesn’t know what they are doing.” 
She noted that Dr. Regg Hagge was part of the Nebraska program and that the hospital was able to entice and bring his family into the community as a full-time doctor for the hospital. 
Weston County Health Services and Rapid City Regional Health have had active discussions, according to Cadwell, about recruiting physicians to replace local long-time physicians nearing retirement age. The boards for both entities support the efforts, she said. 
Despite potential physician shortages, Cadwell said, Newcastle and Weston County Health Services are “somewhat fortunate” because of the access to E-Emergency. 
“We have that extra set of eyes in emergency rooms. We have ties to Rapid City Regional and we work well with Gillette and Casper facilities,” Cadwell said. “We are fortunate in that sense. We can get people where they need to be, and there are more rural places in the state that struggle even more than we do.”