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LOCAL HOSPITAL NOT IMMUNE TO WORKER SHORTAGE
Monday, February 18th, 2008 -- 9:50 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
The Wisconsin Hospital Association warns of a looming shortage of health care professionals.
Memorial Medical Center Administrator Scott Pollenz says our area isn't immune.
One factor: more baby boomers are retiring from the health care field and requiring care themselves. Pollenz says there's also a shortage of young people becoming physicians.
"Part of that relates to physicians aren't what they used to be as far as a Marcus Welby-type of relationship with their patients," Pollenz laments. "Things are so complicated and the insurance companies are involved and doctors, sometimes, can't be doctors."
"There is a bit of a shortage of people actually going into medical school."
In other parts of the state, nurses are hard to come by; it's not so bad here thanks to longevity and ample schooling, according to Pollenz.
At the state level, officials are discussing ways to ease the repayment of student loans for doctors—especially those that go on to rural areas. Locally, Pollenz and his staff are trying to think outside the box to make physicians' lives a bit easier.
"We just started putting together a nice physicians' lounge so doctors can just go there and unwind and get away from the business once in awhile," Pollenz says. "(We're trying) to take away the things physicians have to do that take them away from what they do best, and that's taking care of patients."
Aside from doctors and nurses, WHA says Physical Therapists and Pharmacist are also difficult to recruit.
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