News and Press Releases :: September 15, 2009

Terry Supports Legislation to Increase Physician Numbers

WASHINGTON- A study released today by the University of Nebraska Medical Center indicates Nebraska faces a shortage of medical professionals, especially in rural areas over the next 10 years.  Congressman Terry is a co-sponsor of the ‘Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2009’, H.R. 2251.  This legislation will increase the number of residency positions by approximately 15,000 across the United States.
 
“The shortage of doctors across our country continues to grow,” said Congressman Lee Terry.  “In Nebraska 18 counties do not have a doctor and over half of the 93 counties have a shortage of primary care physicians.  This legislation provides medical schools with the much-needed resources to increase the amount of residency positions they can offer to medical students.  At a time when Congress is moving towards expanding health care service to millions more Americans, we need to significantly increase the number of medial professionals to care for them.”