May 5, 2009

Washington, D.C. — Nevada Senator Harry Reid today introduced a bill to increase the number of Medicare-funded physician residency training positions by 15 percent. The bill is critical to assist Nevada in addressing our shortage of physicians in the workforce and supporting our growing need for care.

The legislation focuses on training physicians with a focus on primary care and community-based training. The bill changes current rules that limit hospital flexibility to train in non-hospital settings. This creates more opportunities for residents to serve the communities where they are learning.  Additionally, the bill allows the funding for those residency slots from closing hospitals to be transferred to any nearby teaching hospital so those doctors are not lost to other places.

“By increasing the funding for these positions, Nevada’s hospitals will be better positioned to keep up with growing demand,” Reid said. “Resident physicians tend to stay where they are trained, so investing in residency training for the next generation keeps more qualified doctors in the Silver State.  This is an investment for Nevada’s future.

“This bill is important for states like ours that have experienced large population growth since the cap on residency slots was enacted in 1997. We know the need for physicians in Nevada is acute and this is one step forward in the monumental effort that is required to reform America’s struggling health care system.”