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SUNNY Temp: 90 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, September 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 30, 2003 Physician shortage could dull image of ‘retirement heaven’ By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Some people think Southern Oregon’s growing physician shortage could eventually slow the region’s growth by making the Rogue Valley a less attractive place for retirees. "Health care is the Rogue Valley’s biggest industry and the Medicare cohort is the fastest growing age group," said Mike Bond, manager of PrimeCare, Jackson County’s association of independent physicians. "If the Medicare reimbursement keeps lowering, there’s a huge potential for economic impact in the Rogue Valley." "People who have retired here will tell their friends (back home) that they can’t get a doctor, and those people won’t come," said Dr. Lee Murdoch, a longtime Medford pediatrician. A physician deficit in one specialty area, such as internal medicine, makes other medical specialties more likely to become understaffed, too, said Dr. Anne Alftine of Medford. "I came here because it was a small community and very friendly, but it had all the medical specialties I was used to in a bigger town," she said. "If the great thing you have starts to crumble, it’s hard to bring people in when you don’t have the support system (of other specialists)." Southern Oregon’s dearth of internists reflects the region’s growing shortage of physicians in both general and special practice, said Debra McFadden, executive director of the Jackson County Medical Society. "Even if we’re recruiting, we’re losing doctors because people are retiring," McFadden said. McFadden said the medical society fields about 20,000 queries a year from people seeking information about a specific doctor or referral to a physician. About a third of those calls are from seniors. Some are searching for a primary doctor, but most are looking for a specialist. Specialists are in high demand, too. Many schedule appointments months in advance for new patients. McFadden said the medical society can’t promise to find a doctor for everyone, "but we’ll do our best to help. Sometimes we can help, and sometimes we can’t." Reach the Jackson County Medical Society at 772-7511. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times