IRVING, Texas, July 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Demand for
psychiatrists is at an all-time high, according to an annual report
tracking physician recruiting trends.
Prepared by Merritt Hawkins, the nation's leading physician
search firm and a company of AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AHS), the
2015 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting
Incentives tracks the 3,120 physician and advanced practitioner
recruiting assignments the firm conducted from April 1, 2014 to March
31, 2015. Now in its 22nd year, the
report indicates that Merritt Hawkins was retained to conduct more
searches for psychiatrists in the prior 12 months than in any other
similar period in its 27-year history. Psychiatrists
trailed only primary care doctors on the list of the firm's 20 most
in-demand medical specialties.
"Psychiatrists are aging out of practice at a time when demand
for their services is spiking," said Travis
Singleton, senior vice president of Merritt Hawkins.
"Finding a psychiatrist willing to practice in an inpatient setting
is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
The federal government has designated 3,968 whole or partial
counties as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for mental
health, Singleton said, defined as areas where there is less than
one psychiatrist per 30,000 people. It would take 2,707
health professionals to remove these designations. In Texas
alone, 185 of 254 counties have no general psychiatrist, according
to a separate Merritt Hawkins report. Disparities by
state are dramatic. While Massachusetts has 18 psychiatrists
per 100,000 population, Idaho has
only five. Approximately 48 percent of psychiatrists are
likely to retire over the next five years, Singleton said, with few
available to take their place.
"Mental health is a topic that the health system and patients
themselves often avoid," Singleton said. "For that reason,
psychiatry can be considered the 'silent shortage,' even though
shortages in psychiatry may be even more acute than they are in
primary care."
King v. Burwell and doctor demand
The recent Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell will
keep health care reform on its current trajectory, boosting demand
for certain types of physicians, according to the Merritt Hawkins
report. Emerging delivery models promoted by the Affordable
Care Act (ACA), which was upheld by King v. Burwell,
encourage the use of healthcare teams led by primary care
physicians. These teams include physician assistants
(PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) and may incorporate physicians
who provide women's health or who manage chronic
diseases.
The Merritt Hawkins report indicates that demand for primary
doctors, PAs, NPs, obstetrician/gynecologists, and physicians who
manage chronic illness, such as psychiatrists, pulmonologists, and
cardiologists, all increased over the previous year.
Implementation of population health management through integrated
systems such as accountable care organizations (ACOs) is likely to
keep demand strong for these types of clinicians, Singleton
said.
Physician Employment and Value-Based Incentives
The Merritt Hawkins report indicates that the prevalence of
private, independent physician practices continues to
decline. Only about five percent of Merritt Hawkins
search assignments in the previous year featured an independent
practice setting, while 95% featured employment by a hospital,
medical group, urgent care center, Federally Quality Health Clinic
(FQHC) or other employer.
The new report also suggests that the use of value-based
physician incentives has stalled. Of those clients offering
physicians a production bonus last year, only 23% based the bonus
in whole or in part on value-based metrics such as patient
satisfaction, compared to 39% two years ago. Despite the
national movement from volume- to value-based payments,
Merritt Hawkins' report indicates
that physician compensation continues to be driven by volume-based
metrics such as relative value units (RVUs), patient visits, and
net collections.
An info-graphic previewing results of Merritt Hawkins' 2015 Review of Physician and
Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives can be accessed at
http://bit.ly/1IWf0qr and a complete report can be obtained by
calling Merritt Hawkins at 800-876-0500.
About Merritt Hawkins
Merritt Hawkins is the largest
physician search and consulting firm in the United States and is a company of AMN
Healthcare (NYSE: AHS). More information about Merritt Hawkins and
AMN Healthcare can be accessed at www.merritthawkins.com.
About AMN Healthcare
AMN Healthcare is the leader
and innovator in healthcare workforce solutions and staffing
services to healthcare facilities across the nation. AMN
Healthcare's workforce solutions - including managed services
programs, vendor management systems, recruitment process
outsourcing and consulting services - enable providers to
successfully reduce complexity, increase efficiency and improve
patient outcomes within the rapidly evolving healthcare
environment. The Company provides unparalleled access to the most
comprehensive network of quality healthcare professionals through
its innovative recruitment strategies and breadth of career
opportunities. Clients include acute-care hospitals, community
health centers and clinics, physician practice groups, retail and
urgent care centers, home health facilities, and many other
healthcare settings. AMN Healthcare disseminates news and
information about the Company through its website, which can be
found at www.amnhealthcare.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company based
these forward-looking statements on its current expectations,
estimates and projections about future events and the industry in
which it operates using information currently available to
it. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from
those implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this
press release are set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and its other
periodic reports as well as the Company's current and other reports
filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Be advised that developments subsequent to this press
release are likely to cause these statements to become outdated
with the passage of time.
Contact:
|
Phillip
Miller
|
|
469-524-1420
|
|
phil.miller@amnhealthcare.com
|
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SOURCE Merritt Hawkins