Missouri targets doctor shortage, expands first-in-nation law

The St. Louis Dispatch reports:

Numerous additional doctors from around the U.S. could become eligible to treat patients in Missouri’s underserved areas as a result of a planned expansion of a first-in-the-nation law aimed at addressing a growing doctor shortage.

The newly passed Missouri legislation would broaden the reach of a 2014 law that sought to bridge the gap between communities in need of doctors and physicians in need of jobs. That law created a new category of licensed professionals — “assistant physicians” — for people who graduate from medical school and pass key medical exams but aren’t placed in residency programs needed for certification.

But it took nearly 2½ years before Missouri finally began accepting applications on Jan. 31. By then, some applicants no longer qualified because too much time had elapsed since their medical exams. Missouri’s new legislation seeks to turn back the clock, so those who became ineligible during the slow roll out can still get licensed as assistant physicians.

Supporters hope the legislation, if signed by the governor, will help jumpstart a program that has been promoted as a model for other states.

A supply story.