Bills help expand UH medical school’s residency training on neighbor islands

Former Gov. David Ige signed two bills to help combat the state’s increasing physician shortage and support the UH Mānoa medical school’s mission to retain more of its graduates to practice medicine in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i Physician Workforce Assessment Project Report indicates that the state is in need of at least 750 doctors, with the greatest statewide shortage being in primary care specialties. The proportional need is greatest on the neighbor islands, with both Maui and Hawai‘i County experiencing a physician shortage of 40 percent.

Senate Bill 2567 funds JABSOM’s expansion of medical residency and medical student training opportunities on the neighbor islands, and with the U.S. Veteran Affairs (VA) Pacific Islands Healthcare System sites across the state––specifically in areas where healthcare is most needed. The VA is a valuable partner in JABSOM’s academic programs. Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Geriatrics and Addiction Medicine residents or fellows have part of their curriculum based at VA sites.

Senate Bill 2597 allows for more loans to be given in the Hawai‘i State Loan Repayment Program, which helps graduates of JABSOM and other health professions reduce their educational debt in exchange for remaining in Hawai‘i to practice. Loan repayment programs are a critical part of addressing the health professional workforce shortage, and Hawai‘i’s program has proven to be highly successful.

“Data show that more than 80% of physicians who graduate from both JABSOM and its residency programs tend to stay in Hawai‘i to practice— that is one of the highest retention rates in the country,” said JABSOM Dean Jerris Hedges.“We know that physicians who train in rural areas on our neighbor islands are also more likely to put down roots and nurture the communities that they’re in. We look forward to expanding our medical training opportunities to these underserved areas and to stay true to JABSOM’s vision of ALOHA: Attain Lasting Optimal Health for All.”