Health Care Worker Shortage Looming, Study Finds
California could face a shortage of up to 17,000 doctors by 2015 as the population grows and the current physician work force ages, according to a University of California Division of Health Affairs study, the Stockton Record reports.
According to the study, demand is growing for health care providers who can address cultural and language needs to improve access to care, reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for patients.
In addition, there has been a "lack of growth in medical education programs in California -- including virtually no growth within UC for more than two decades," the report says.
The study recommends increasing enrollment in UC programs for medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and veterinary medicine, and maintaining enrollment levels in UC schools of dentistry and optometry.
The study also recommends launching new comprehensive educational programs for nursing, medicine and veterinary medicine (Spence, Stockton Record, 7/27).