MD to increase primary care health workforce by 25%

Maryland officials on Tuesday announced a plan to increase the number of primary care health professionals by as much as 25% in the next decade through a wide range of goals that include increased educational opportunities, financial incentives and tort reform. Maryland and the rest of the country are dealing with a shortage of primary care physicians and fear the problem will worsen when healthcare reform adds millions more people to the insurance rolls. Nearly 360,000 new people will have access to insurance in Maryland by 2020. A work force investment board appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley used a $150,000 federal grant to come up with the goals to improve the number of primary care physicians, nurses, physician assistants and support staff in the state by 2020.