May 28, 2009
Sen. Cantwell advocates for primary care
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell held a news conference at UW Medicine at South Lake Union Tuesday to address the shortage of primary care and physician workforce shortages in the United States, especially in rural communities.
Cantwell is working on two national legislative initiatives to increase the number of practicing primary care doctors and to revamp inefficient Medicare reimbursement rates.
The American College of Physicians reports that “primary care, the backbone of the nation’s health care system, is at grave risk of collapse.” It also predicts that the country will need 40 percent more primary care physicians by 2020. As the population ages, the number of practicing primary care doctors is decreasing. Yet, the coordination of care that primary care doctors provide has proven to reduce health care costs. Primary care providers give patients one point of contact, ensuring that follow-up care is continuous and comprehensive.
Participating in the news conference were UW medical student Brett Toresdahl, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Paul Ramsey, chief executive officer of UW Medicine and dean of UW School of Medicine, and Eric Larson, Group Health Center for Health Studies.
For 15 consecutive years, the UW has been ranked first among primary care medical schools in the country, according to annual rankings of graduate and professional programs provided by U. S.News & World Report.
