Arizona’s healthcare system is suboptimal. The state currently meets only 35.4% of its primary care physician needs, requiring 493 full-time equivalent physicians to eliminate 212 shortage areas across all 15 counties. By 2030, Arizona will need nearly 2,000 additional primary care physicians to meet growing health care demands.
According to a think tank, Arizona’s health care market has shifted, with the population covered by public insurance options (Medicaid and Medicare) has increased 110% since 2000 while private health insurance market has grown only 36%. Population growth over the same period was 41%, and the uninsured population decreased by 8%.
To help address this, the Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation has awarded transformative grants to the University of Arizona Health Sciences and the company Banner Health. This is to expand primary care graduate medical education across Arizona. The aim is to create 200 new residency positions and build a sustainable framework for training physicians in rural, tribal and underserved communities.
University of Arizona Health Sciences initiative
University of Arizona Health Sciences will launch a variety of collaborative initiatives with the aim of increasing the number of primary care positions across the state. This will add 50 new primary care residency positions in high-need communities across the state.
The University will also support accelerated three-year medical school-to-residency tracks, linking U of A College of Medicine graduates to Arizona primary care GME programs statewide. With mentorship, scholarships and community engagement emphasizing recruitment from rural, tribal and border communities, this is a proven strategy for physician retention.
There will also be technical assistance to better support the unique needs of Arizona communities including rural, tribal and community health partners.
Banner Health initiative
The Banner Health Foundation will expand Banner/University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix GME programs, by adding 144 new primary care residency slots in family and internal medicine over the next three years at Banner Desert Internal and Family Medicine (Mesa, Arizona), Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center Internal Medicine (Sun City, Arizona), and Payson Family Medicine (Payson, Arizona).
There will also be support for innovative urban and rural rotations and technology-enabled learning, including ultrasound and simulation for primary care residents from across the state.
The company will also support data analysis of Arizona’s primary care workforce to help develop novel retention strategies, designed to encourage physicians to remain in Arizona after training.
Overall, the two initiatives represent a nearly 200-slot statewide expansion of primary care residency positions, supported by a systems-level approach.
