Our leaders make Iowa less attractive to doctors

The Gazette recently published a story about the physician shortage in Iowa (“Can Iowa turn the corner on its doctor shortage?” Nov. 20). The story left out several important reasons for the shortage.

Physicians are, by nature and training, compassionate people. But state government, allegedly representing the people, continually implements policies that are anything but compassionate. The state makes it more difficult for the poor to obtain SNAP benefits. The state makes it difficult for individuals who question their gender identity to seek appropriate medical care. Iowa has a shortage of OB-GYN physicians and state law impinges on their ability to practice compassionate care as they were trained. Compassionate physicians may choose to practice where true compassion is modeled by state government. Right now, that is not Iowa.

Fifty-five percent of Iowa medical school graduates are women. Physicians tend to have equally-educated life partners. Many wish to start a family while also practicing their profession. This requires two infrastructure elements — a robust child care system and high speed internet for the partner who is, for example, a work from home engineer. Without those infrastructure elements, it is difficult to attract young physicians.

People who do not have health insurance tend to put off seeking care until the situation becomes a crisis. Then, they seek care and compassionate professionals provide it, often as charity care. Every physician provides some uncompensated care, but there is a limit to this. Young physicians especially need to be concerned about repaying their education loans and providing for their young families, and an environment that does not guarantee adequate compensation is less attractive than one that does. When state policies work to minimize uncompensated care, the environment for recruiting physicians improves.

The physician shortage in Iowa can be improved by eliminating state policies that are not compassionate, providing child care and high speed internet in communities lacking it, and providing health care insurance for all.

Tom Persoon lives in Coralville.