I was a military doctor. The Pentagon's plan to cut doctors will make whole system worse.
Bob Adams, Opinion contributor Published 7:00 a.m. ET July 18, 2019
The United States is facing a serious doctor shortage. As a retired military physician employed by the UNC health care system in North Carolina, we are constantly dealing with the consequences of too few physicians.
It has taken us one year to find a qualified doctor for our practice, although we are actively recruiting and paying tens of thousands of dollars in commissions to find one physician. I am considering retirement but we want a physician as well trained as I am to replace me. The military still produces similar providers, but there are already too few of us to go around.
Unfortunately, this crisis is poised to get even worse. According to its 2020 budget, the Pentagon plans to cut 18,000 doctors, nurses, dentists and other specially trained medical positions from its ranks.
This plan is bad news for doctors and patients alike.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/07/18/military-doctors-shortage-pentagon-budget-cuts-column/1744672001/?fbclid=IwAR1G0fFCR8inuktbHZJoK_W0MlpoGRRno2vxd1j7kQOESr6UrE-TajfkNpc
