The senator’s Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act is a bipartisan health care workforce solution to combat the projected shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Here’s what some stakeholders are saying about the measure and Boozman’s leadership:

 “The current cap on residency slots, established in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, severely restricts the number of training positions for which hospitals can receive graduate medical education (GME) funding, exacerbating our workforce challenges. As a predominantly rural state, Arkansas faces a pressing concern regarding consistent access to medical care and, by adding more residency slots, the legislation will help address the critical physician shortage. We appreciate Sen. Boozman for sponsoring this very important legislation,” Arkansas Hospital Association President and CEO Bo Ryall said.

 “The shortage of primary health care providers, particularly in rural areas, means that many Arkansans are not getting the preventive health care required to achieve good health, wellness and longevity. There is a definite need in our state and many other states, particularly states that are very rural based, to get more doctors both in primary care positions and subspecialists. New streams of revenue to support graduate medical education are critical. This could be a very significant boost for health care in rural communities,” said Executive Vice Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Dr. Steven Webber.

 “Alice L. Walton School of Medicine recently welcomed our inaugural class of students in Bentonville, Arkansas. These future physicians are committed to serving communities across Arkansas and the Heartland region. Physicians tend to practice where they complete their residency training, thus making the availability of additional GME slots in rural states essential. The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act is a vital investment in the health of rural communities found across our state and I applaud Senator Boozman for his steadfast support of this initiative,” said Alice Walton School of Medicine Dean Sharmila Makhija.