The New York State Department of Health is providing a $432,000 grant to Syracuse, N.Y.-based Upstate Medical University, reported WRVO Sept. 16. 

Over a third of North Carolina residents face difficulties accessing primary care physicians in the state, which is projected to see a shortage of 7,725 physicians by 2030, writes Grace-Marie Turner in a Sept. 12 opinion essay in The Carolina Journal. 

As reimbursements from CMS and other payers continue to be misaligned with the cost of keeping practices afloat, physicians face difficult choices about how to lead their practices into the future. 

Rhode Island has been named the state with the most vaccinated residents in 2024, with Mississippi named the state with the fewest, according to a study from WalletHub published Sept. 11. 

Here are three policy changes that independent physicians say would make a difference in the fight to keep the doors open in the age of healthcare consolidation:

The Louisiana Department of Health has appointed Wyche Coleman, MD, to the state's new deputy surgeon general position, nola.com reported Aug. 28. 

Female physicians working in nonrural practices deliver care more frequently via telehealth, according to a Sept. 3 study published in Health Affairs. 

In the wake of another year of Medicare payment reductions, the American Medical Association on Sept. 5 called on CMS to be "fully transparent" about the effects of the cuts on physicians and patients. 

A jump in physician productivity is primarily driving compensation increases this year, according to SullivanCotter's 2023-24 Physician Compensation and Productivity Report.

A plurality of hospitalists (28%) have a net worth of less than $500,000, according to Medscape's "Hospitalist Wealth & Debt Report," published Sept. 6.

Physician productivity is a focal point of success for healthcare organizations, but many are slow to adopt formal onboarding practices, according to a Sept. 5 article by the American Medical Association. 

In 2023, malpractice verdicts hit a record high. There were 57 medical malpractice verdicts of $10 million or more, with more than half of those verdicts hitting $25 million. 

Advocate Health is taking significant strides toward addressing burnout and fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for its physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) through its "Best Place to Care" initiative. With a focus on enhancing engagement and wellness among clinicians, the initiative takes a comprehensive approach to improving well-being by emphasizing transparency, community building and workflow improvements.

Independence versus employment is something that weighs on physicians across the country as reimbursement rates decline, operational costs soar and corporations continue to make sweeping buyouts. 

About a quarter of medical students rarely or never see their friends, amid busy class loads and work expectations, according to Medscape's 2024 "Medical Student Lifestyle Report," published Sept. 4. 

For some physicians, a bump in pay isn't always enough to justify making major life changes for a new position.

Ahead of the presidential election in November, physicians in leadership positions are watching a number of issues.

Talks between over 800 resident physicians at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.) and University Medical Resident Services are at a stalemate after the union representing the physicians rejected the university's most recent offer, reported WIVB News 4 Aug. 28. 

Over 10 states have passed laws in the last decade allowing non-match medical school graduates to work under the supervision of a licensed physician through what have become known as "bridge" programs. 

Here are three updates on physician unions since Aug. 1, as reported by Becker's: