Medical providers discuss workforce shortage at lawmaker forum
MANKATO — If hospitals want to recruit more doctors in rural areas, they need help. At the same time, medical care providers need more flexibility in billing and reimbursement from the government to solve some of the issues patients commonly run into when getting the care they need.
That's the message lawmakers heard during a talk Tuesday morning in Mankato. Sen. Tony Lourey, the ranking DFLer on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, is touring the state to discuss health care problems and solutions. He stopped in Mankato along with Sen. Nick Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, and Rep. Jack Considine, DFL-Mankato, to meet with local medical providers.
One of the biggest concerns for local medical centers is trying to retain workers through residency opportunities, loan forgiveness programs and even help securing visas for foreign workers.
Though there are state and federal dollars for such programs, they aren't enough to off-set costs for rural providers.
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