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Klobuchar Amendment Aimed at Bringing More Doctors to Rural Areas

Press Release

Date: Dec. 9, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care

Today U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar filed an amendment with Senator Mark Udall to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would help train and recruit new doctors to practice in currently underserved rural communities. While nearly a quarter of Americans live in rural areas, only 10 percent of physicians practice medicine in rural areas. The amendment builds upon the success of the University of Minnesota's Rural Physician Associate Program.

"Right now we're facing a shortage of primary care physicians in our rural communities," said Klobuchar. "This amendment will help recruit and train a new generation of doctors to continue to provide quality health care to rural Minnesota."

The amendment would create a competitive grant program that would give medical schools resources to create training programs or expand existing programs that specialize in medical care for rural communities. It would also establish programs to recruit students from rural underserved areas who wish to practice medicine in their hometowns.

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