MSMS recently released a report detailing practical, cost-neutral recommendations aimed at addressing Michigan’s growing physician workforce shortage, strengthening primary care and improving access to healthcare services for patients across the state. The report comes as Michigan faces mounting healthcare challenges, including limited access to primary care in many communities, an aging physician workforce and continued difficulty retaining physicians trained in the state. Recommendations provide a realistic roadmap for improving patient access to care while helping build a stronger, more sustainable healthcare system for Michigan’s future.
Titled, Strengthening Health Care Delivery in Michigan: Physician Workforce Recommendations, the report was developed following several meetings of the MSMS Subcommittee on Michigan’s Physician Workforce Needs. It focuses on strengthening the state’s primary care infrastructure while building a more sustainable physician pipeline for the future. The Subcommittee included representatives from other physician associations, payors, physician organizations, medical schools, healthcare leaders, and practicing physicians from across Michigan.
The report comes at a critical time for Michigan’s healthcare system. Nearly one-third of Michigan residents currently lack access to primary care, more than 30 percent of the state’s physicians are over the age of 60, and Michigan retains fewer than half of the physicians it trains through Graduate Medical Education programs.
“Primary care is the backbone of a strong healthcare system, yet in Michigan, access is slipping further out of reach for too many patients,” said Dennis Ramus, chair of the subcommittee and a member of the MSMS Board of Directors. “This report lays out practical, cost-neutral recommendations Michigan can act on now to strengthen the physician workforce, improve access to care and help prevent this crisis from growing even worse.”
The report’s recommendations are organized around four key areas: increasing investment in primary care, easing administrative burdens across the healthcare system, strengthening medical education and training pathways, and improving physician recruitment and retention in Michigan. The recommendations are designed to address the root causes of workforce shortages with realistic, actionable solutions that can be implemented without significantly increasing healthcare costs.
The report also highlights the important role physician-led care plays in improving health outcomes, reducing long-term healthcare costs and ensuring patients receive timely preventive and chronic disease management services. Strengthening primary care access is essential to improving the overall health of Michigan residents and ensuring the state’s healthcare system can meet growing demand in the years ahead.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Dara J. Barrera, MSMS Director of Health Care Quality, Equity and Technology at djbarrera@msms.org or 517-336-5770 or Stacey P. Hettiger, MSMS Senior Director of Advocacy and Payor Relations at shettiger@msms.org or 517-336-5766.
View the full report, Strengthening Health Care Delivery in Michigan: Physician Workforce Recommendations.