The first thing my new patient did when she walked into my office was breathe an enormous sigh of relief. "It was so hard to get this appointment with you," she said. "It took weeks!" Unfortunately, my patient is not alone in her struggles. It is increasingly difficult for patients to find doctors and to get appointments with primary care physicians like myself, and it is likely to get worse, not better, as millions more gain health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The medical field has long been fretting about an upcoming doctor shortage.
