American Medical Association President Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, spotlighted the growing national physician shortage in a national address Oct. 25.
The address, which was delivered at the National Press Club, focused on the challenges physicians across the country face, including growing health crises, administrative burdens, burnout and a broken Medicare payment system, according to an Oct. 25 news release.
"The physician shortage that we have long feared—and warned was on the horizon—is already here. It’s an urgent crisis … hitting every corner of this country—urban and rural—with the most direct impacting hitting families with high needs and limited means," Dr. Ehrenfeld said in his speech.
Dr. Ehrenfeld also discussed action items to address the shortage, including passing Medicare payment reform, reducing administrative burdens like the prior authorization process, introducing legislation focused on residency training options, providing greater student loan support and creating smoother pathways for foreign-trained physicians.