Hawaii Health System Corporation: Primary Care Training Program

Hawaii Health System Corporation: Primary Care Training Program

On Thursday, January 10, 2013, the Legislative Big Island Delegation invited the Hawai'i Island Healthcare Alliance to present Hawaii Health System Corporation's (HHSC) initiative to increase the number of Primary Care Physicians and Clinicians Practicing on the Big Island. Presenting was Dr. Kristine McCoy, Program Director for Hawaii Health System Corporation. 

According to a 2012 UH Hilo study, in five years, one in three physicians currently practicing on Hawai'i Island will not be doing so. Hawaii Health System Corporation: Primary Care Training Program (HHSC PCPT) would train primary care teams. Teams can care for up to 10,000 patients with one doctor, before one doctor could only manage 2,500. Teams are more cost effective. One family physician costs $25,000 - $300,000 per year to train (residency), nearly one million dollars over the course of the residency. The HHSC PCPT trains a team equivalent to up to 4 physicians for $1.6 million.

Hawai'i State

Projected Physician Shortage

Decline by 2020 Due to Population Growth and Physician Retirement and Relocation

Source: JABOM Workforce Study 2011

Innovation is the key to solving the primary care gap. The new approach includes advanced practice nurses, pharmacist clinicians, and psychologists, as well as family physicians. Training will focus on skills for practicing in smaller communities. More than half of residents trained at rural sites practice in rural areas.

Hawai'i cannot count on the mainland to provide the needed physicians. The United States will need 52,000 additional primary care physicians by 2025. Source: Petterson et al, Annals of Fam Med Nov/Dec 2012

·               33,000 due to population growth

·              10,000 due to aging of our population

·               8,000 due to insurance expansion

HHSC feels new programs must be started in order to fill the gap. Physicians must be trained on site in rural areas. Of the 63 residents trained through the John A. Burns Medical Center:

·              50 stayed on Oahu

·              4 relocated to Maui

·              9 relocated to the Big Island

·              0 relocated to Kauai

Dr. McCoy comments on the projected physician shortage statewide.

Representative Cindy Evans speaks of the importance of innovation in healthcare.

Harold Wallace, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Bay Clinic, Inc. Hilo, Hawai'i comments on the need to increase preventive care.

Richard Taaffe, Executive Director, West Hawaii Community Health Center speaks on the clinic’s commitment to provide healthcare to the uninsured.

Submitted by: Michael Moscati, Communications and Community Outreach Liaison for Rep. Evans