ICYMI: Nevada U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen co-sponsors bipartisan bill addressing the growing physician shortage in Nevada and across the country
For Immediate Release: July 17, 2019
Reno, NV — Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen has signed on as a co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill, Resident Physician Shortage of 2019. The bill, S.348, is aimed at addressing the nation’s critical shortage of doctors by adding 15,000 Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency physician slots over a five year period. The GME program is supported in part by Medicare.
The physician shortage has been felt particularly deeply in Nevada, with the Silver State ranking 48th in the nation for the number of primary care physicians per capita. The bill would be a significant step forward in addressing this growing public health concern. New medical schools, including the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine, would be granted priority access to the new residency slots.
Statement from Lindsey Harmon, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada:
“The health of Nevadans, especially in rural areas, is at risk because of the increasing physician shortage and lack of access to affordable care, or in some cases, any medical care at all. Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada thanks Sen. Rosen for her work to help repair our broken health care system in a practical and sustainable way.
“We are working toward a future with more access to better health care, and we’re thankful for the Senator’s leadership to help make that a reality for Nevadans.”
Learn more about the bill here.
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