The state Senate is considering legislation directing the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University to coordinate a comprehensive search for actionable solutions to physician and health care shortages and expand health care access in medically underserved areas.
Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, is the sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 116, which he presented to the Senate Health Services Committee on Wednesday. The measure passed without dissent.
“Access to a doctor should not depend on your ZIP code,” Stivers told the panel. “By bringing our leading universities and partners together, we are taking a focused, data-driven approach to ensure more Kentuckians, especially those in unserved and underserved areas, have access to quality care. Strengthening our physician workforce and other healthcare providers strengthens families, communities, and the Commonwealth as a whole.”
Under the resolution, the three universities will need to collaborate with community partners, state agencies, professional associations, and other stakeholders, to identify strategies that address workforce shortages, improve physician retention in underserved areas, and expand access through technology and community-based care models.
More than 75 percent of Kentucky physicians practice in urban areas, leaving many rural counties without adequate access to primary and specialty care. As a result, residents in medically underserved communities must often travel long distances for treatment. This creates financial and transportation barriers that can lead to delayed or foregone care.
“Who is better equipped than our leading universities to solve this healthcare problem?” said Stivers.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 57 percent of medical residents continue practicing in the state where they complete their training. Lawmakers say they believe expanding graduate medical education opportunities in underserved regions could significantly improve long-term physician retention.
SJR 116, if passed by both chambers, is just like bills and carries the weight of law. It now heads to the Senate floor.
Senate President Robert Stivers is sponsoring legislation that prompts UK, Louisville and EKU to coordinate solutions to the physician shortage in Kentucky. (LRC photo) Hargis David Michael
