ArMA President Meets With Governor Hobbs About Arizona’s Worsening Healthcare Workforce Shortage

PHOENIX, Arizona — The Arizona Medical Association’s 132nd President, William C. Thompson IV, MD, FASA, met with Governor Katie Hobbs to voice the association’s concerns about the state’s worsening healthcare workforce shortage and to introduce the Healthy Arizona Workforce Coalition, a new collaborative effort between local healthcare stakeholders.

Arizona’s healthcare system is currently short more than 14,000 registered nurses and 3,500 physicians, according to a report by the Arizona Board of Regents. By ABOR’s estimates, the shortage will significantly grow within the next decade unless swift action is taken now.

“There are many creative, feasible solutions for addressing Arizona’s physician shortage, and chief among those is an increase in funding for graduate medical education,” stated Dr. Thompson. “We know that physicians are most likely to practice medicine in the state where they completed their specialty training. To retain the talented students graduating from our state’s medical schools, we must create more postgraduate training opportunities.”

Healthcare stakeholders, hospitals, medical schools, and our state government all have a central role to play in mitigating and solving Arizona’s healthcare workforce shortage. From fostering positive workplace culture to increasing postgraduate training opportunities, every actor within the healthcare system has a responsibility to contribute to the shortage’s solution.

“It was a great honor to meet with Governor Hobbs and have a meaningful discussion about the ways our state can collaboratively address the workforce shortage, which impacts the health and well-being of every Arizonan,” said Dr. Thompson. “A solution to a challenge of this magnitude will require all of us working together.”

As an organization, ArMA’s purpose is to advocate for physicians and the patients they care for, which is why the association is proactively leading an effort to address the healthcare workforce shortage.

The Healthy Arizona Workforce Coalition, also known as HAWC, was created by ArMA through grant funding from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The coalition is comprised of local healthcare stakeholders, including ADHS, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and more than a dozen other organizations. Together, the coalition is crafting short-, mid-, and long-term solutions in areas identified as being pivotal to remedying the state’s workforce shortage, including education, workplace culture, retention, and recruitment.

“Arizona’s healthcare workforce shortage is dauntingly complex, so it’s crucial that the healthcare community comes together to coordinate its efforts,” stated Libby McDannell, CEO of ArMA. “As the largest physician-led organization in the state, ArMA is proud to be at the forefront of this much-needed initiative. We are committed to moving the needle and securing the workforce our healthcare system needs to deliver compassionate, optimal patient care today and in the future.”

As Arizona’s population swells, the stakes for ensuring residents have appropriate access to health care increase. HAWC’s member organizations are determined to ensure the demand for health care is met, and the coalition looks forward to continued collaboration with community partners, as this is an issue that impacts us all.

“In the medical community, we not only understand but see firsthand the gravity of Arizona’s workforce shortage every day,” said Sara Salek, MD, co-chair of HAWC. “Our members are united by a passion for ensuring patients’ access to care, and that passion shines through in the coalition’s every discussion. Together, we are mobilizing to achieve a paramount goal, and we won’t stop until we see it through.”