General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Joint State Government Commission
Room 108 Finance Building, 613 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-4397
SUMMARY of the Report on The Physician Shortage in Pennsylvania
Released: April 2015
House Resolution No. 735 of 2014 directed the Joint State Government Commission
(JSGC) to study the issue of physician shortages and to propose strategies for eliminating physician
shortages. The resolution directed JSGC to establish an advisory committee to accomplish these
goals.
The Advisory Committee came to consensus on the following recommendations:
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Improve physician workforce data collection and analysis.
Establish a state pipeline program to prepare students for medical careers.
Encourage medical schools to implement programs aimed at increasing
Pennsylvania’s physician supply.
Increase the number of residency positions in order to train more physicians in
Pennsylvania.
Increase financial support for the Primary Health Care Practitioners Program within
the Department of Health to make the Primary Care Loan Repayment Program a
more appealing recruitment tool.
Ensure that Pennsylvania fully utilizes the tools available to recruit international
medical graduates.
The Advisory Committee supports the implementation of the Patient Centered
Medical Home and telemedicine care delivery models.
The report includes background information on the data sources used in the report, on the
measures of physician shortages, on physician workforce statistics, on workforce models, and on
the specialty workforce. The report includes relevant background information accompanying the
recommendations. The report also includes supplementary materials, including 2014 House
Resolution No. 735, and two acts referenced in the report.
The full report is available on our website: http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us/