13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Country facing shortage of doctors

Country facing shortage of doctors

Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - The future of the health care system is up in the air and the country is facing a growing shortage of family doctors.

"We are getting to the point where it is very critical for Indiana," said Dr. Deanna Willis.

Indiana is experiencing a doctor shortage and, as USA Today pointed out Tuesday, it is a growing problem for the entire country. The number of med students into primary care has dropped by 51 percent nationwide since 1997. Currently, 30 percent of Indiana's 92 counties are designated as primary medical care health professional shortage areas.

"Since 1998, medical school interest in Indiana was around 20 percent. Now it's down around 9 percent going into family medicine," Dr. Willis said.

That means by the year 2020, Indiana will need 2,000 additional primary care physicians.

"Money is the biggest reason. There are vast differences between income potentials between specialist and primary care doctors," said Dr. Risheet Patel.

Dr. Patel is bucking that trend. He's opted to practice family medicine at Olio Road Family Care in Fishers. He is right about the money. Family physicians in Indiana are paid 100 to 200 percent below other specialities, but he's the first to tell you he is practicing family medicine for the relationships that can last a lifetime.

"We need to get younger doctors more exposed to family medicine. I feel in their time there, they don't get exposed to what family medicine is really like," Dr. Patel said.

So Hoosiers are waiting longer to see their doctor and paying more once they finally get in and the volume of work for doctors increases, as does the instances of burnout.

"We know the more primary care physicians in a community, the lower the cost, the lower the death rate and the lower the burden of illness rate in a community," Dr. Willis said.

That ultimately affects Indiana's quality of life.

Indiana and the entire country will have to find a way to address the program. Substantial scholarships, loan forgiveness and other incentive programs are possibilities.