Every County In Nevada Is Experiencing A Shortage Of Medical Professionals
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced a bipartisan bill to bring more doctors to areas currently facing severe shortages, like Nevada. The bipartisan Physicians for Underserved Areas Act would revise the graduate medical education process to increase the likelihood of areas with physician shortages getting more medical residency slots after hospital closures take place elsewhere in the country. Every county in Nevada is experiencing a shortage of medical professionals, and in 2024, Nevada was ranked 45th in the nation with regard to the availability of physicians per 100,000 residents.
“The dire shortage of doctors in our state is hurting Nevadans’ ability to get quality medical care,” said Senator Rosen. “We know that when more doctors train in our communities, they are more likely to stay here. That’s why I’m working across the aisle to bring more doctors to Nevada by increasing medical residency slots. I’ll keep working on commonsense solutions to ensure families can access affordable, quality health care.”
“Rural communities in Arkansas and across the country continue to face health care challenges starting with a lack of available medical providers,” said Senator Boozman. “I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan solution to ensure more medical school graduates practice in the communities that desperately need them so all Americans, no matter where they live, get the care they need.”
“At the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, we recognize the critical need to expand Graduate Medical Education (GME) opportunities to address physician shortages in underserved areas,” said Marc J. Kahn, Dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “The Physicians for Underserved Areas Act is a crucial step toward ensuring that residency slots are redistributed in a way that prioritizes communities with the greatest need. By streamlining the process and expediting the timeline for GME slot reallocation, this legislation will help fill gaps in healthcare access and strengthen our medical workforce. We fully support this bipartisan effort led by Senator Rosen and Senator Boozman and appreciate their commitment to improving healthcare for all.”
“Nevada continues to struggle with expanding residency positions to address enduring physician workforce shortages,” said Dr. John Packham, Associate Dean of the University of Nevada, Reno’s School of Medicine. “This important legislation will support efforts by medical schools and teaching hospitals across the state to expand graduate medical education opportunities to prepare and retain tomorrow’s doctors in Nevada.”
“It is critically important for a clear and immediate pathway to exist from medical school to residency in areas with physician shortages or that are otherwise underserved,” said Dr. Renee Coffman, Co-Founder and President of Roseman University. “Without adequate GME spots, future doctors have no practical ability to stay in communities that need them most. Roseman University thanks Senators Rosen and Boozman for the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act and for their continued efforts in supporting the growth of the health care workforce.”
“The Nevada Primary Care Association, representing the state’s Community Health Centers, is grateful to Senator Rosen for re-introducing this important legislation,” said Nancy Bowen, CEO of the Nevada Primary Care Association. “Nevada has been blessed with rapid population growth throughout its modern history, but this has come at a cost of persistent and profound health provider shortages. The Physicians for Underserved Areas Act is an important step to increasing the number of providers who are trained in the state and stay to deliver health care to our residents.”
“The National Rural Health Association strongly supports the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act as a critical step in addressing physician shortages in rural communities,” said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. “By ensuring that unused residency slots are swiftly redistributed to hospitals that need them most, this bill will help strengthen the rural health workforce and expand access to care in underserved areas. We applaud Senators Rosen and Boozman for their leadership in advancing policies that prioritize rural patients and providers, and we urge Congress to move quickly on this important legislation.”
Senator Rosen is working to address Nevada’s health care professional shortage and improve medical care access in the state. Last week, she introduced the bipartisan REDI Act to increase the number of doctors and dentists in underserved areas by allowing them to defer student loan payments without interest until the completion of their residency or internship programs. Last month, she introduced the bipartisan Train More Nurses Act to address the nursing shortage affecting communities across the nation. Rosen’s bipartisan Maximizing Health Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act was signed into law in 2022 to allow community health centers to use federal funds to establish new mobile health care units to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities.
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