Becker's Hospital Review

66 CARE DELIVERY Medical School Enrollment Up 25% By Emily Rappleye N ew data shows U.S. medical school enrollment has grown by a quarter since 2002, adding more than 4,100 new students into the fold, according to a report released in May by Association of American Medical Colleges. e research suggests enrollment will hit 21,434 students by the 2017-18 academic year, marking 30 percent growth over the 2002 baseline and accomplishing the AAMC's goal set a decade ago to help address the physician shortage. In addition to allopathic medical school enrollment growth, osteopathic schools have also seen marked growth in enrollment since 2002. When allopathic and osteopathic schools are combined, first-year enrollment is projected to hit 30,186 by 2020, which is a 55 percent increase over the 2002 baseline, according to AAMC. "Our nation's medical schools have stepped up to meet the challenge the AAMC put before them in 2006," AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch, MD, said in a statement. "ey understand the integral role they play in meeting the future health workforce needs of this country which, according to our latest data, will now require up to an additional 94,700 physicians by 2025." irty-seven percent of anticipated growth in enrollment by the end of the decade has been attributed to the 20 additional medical schools that have been established since 2002, and with seven new schools on the way, new medical schools could account for an even greater enrollment growth. is growth in medical school enrollment has 85 percent of medical school deans concerned about availability of sites for clinical clerkships, which are completed in the third and fourth years of medical school. Half of deans are concerned about the supply of residency positions as well, according to AAMC. "is growth is naturally going to put a strain on limited clinical resources and residency positions, which is a problem not only for the nation's future doctors but for the nation's future patients," Dr. Kirch said, calling on Congress to increase support for residency training. e report also notes increased efforts toward diversifying the physician workforce. As of last year, 84 percent of schools said they have already implemented or plan to implement in the next two years admission policies to recruit a diverse student body and increase underrepresented groups in medicine, including minorities, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and rural communities. n 34% of American Adults Did Not See, Talk to a Physician in 2014 By Max Green I n 2014, 34 percent of Americans age 18-64 didn't visit — or even speak with — a primary care physician, according to the CDC. In Montana, that number was highest, at 48.1 percent, with 10 other states — South Dakota, Alaska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Texas, Florida and California — also reporting above average numbers. Whether states had state-based or federally facilitated marketplaces had little impact on whether residents saw providers, but rates were lower in states with partnership marketplaces. Additionally, many adults in the U.S. reported not having a go-to place to receive care in 2014. That number ranged from 2.8 percent in Vermont to 26.7 percent in Nevada, according to the data. Those rates were slightly lower in states with Medicaid expansion. n Wake Forest Baptist Acquires 300-Physician Group By Emily Rappleye W inston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center completed its acquisition of Cornerstone Health Care, a physician-owned, 275-plus-provider, multispecialty practice based in High Point, N.C. Wake Forest sealed the deal after a three-month due diligence period, uniting a top academic medical center with a high-performing medical practice and population health company. Under the agreement, Cornerstone will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Wake Forest, but still able to continue operating as a separate business unit and continue to lead its accountable care organization, which Wake Forest says is one of the top performers in the country. "We are committed to the continued development and growth of Cornerstone," Wake Forest CEO John McConnell, MD, said in a statement announcing the deal. "Through our combined strengths and collaboration, we will advance the region's population health efforts, create a highly coordinated network that improves health, and provide greater value to the communities we serve." The acquisition builds on the organizations' existing clinically integrated network, Cornerstone Health Enablement Strategic Solutions. Elisabeth Stambaugh, MD, will continue in her role as CMO of Cornerstone, and Doug Mathis will return to Cornerstone as its chief administrative officer after his 2013 departure. Grace Terrell, MD, who is involved on an HHS advisory committee, the American Medical Group Association board, the American Medical Association's integrated physician section and Oliver Wyman, will transition to a role as strategist of CHESS, the organizations' CIN. n

• Cover