Dean Richardson discusses primary care at City Club event

Posted Apr 12, 2009

Dean Richardson was one of four panelists at a recent evening roundtable sponsored by City Club of Portland. Speaking to an engaged audience of over 60, Dean Richardson was joined by J. Bart McMullan, Jr., MD, President, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon; Mark Kleinman, MD, Vice President and Associate Medical Director for Primary Care, Kaiser Permanente; and Lisa Snodderly, RN, Director, Regional Nursing Recruitment, Providence Health System.

“Primary care is the frontline of our health care system,” said Dean Richardson in his opening remarks. “Yet 60% of physicians say that they would not recommend medicine as a career to young people, and the same percentage of the students in the School of Medicine says that their educational debt is going to influence their choice of specialty.”

“Primary care is a calling, but the calling is being drowned out by competing interests,” agreed Dr. Kleinman.

Responding to questions from the audience about the need to expand the number of medical school graduates, Dean Richardson noted a constraining factor was actually the number of GME slots available in Oregon. “We have to link an increase in MD class size with a similar increase in the number of available residencies,” he said. “Otherwise we are just exporting our students to other states.”

All panelists agreed with Dr. McMullan on the need for an economic solution to the shortage and mal-distribution of primary care physicians, and the need to reward and stimulate primary care physicians to enter the profession.