By DR. RALPH K. MESSO http://www.silive.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Americans today are facing a severe shortage of primary care specialists. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), only 2 percent of the graduating classes of medical schools are entering residency training in primary care.

By KIM BARTO – Bulletin Staff Writer http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com Memorial Hospital in Martinsville is exploring new ways to recruit more doctors and reduce stress on its current staff. It can be hard to get a doctor’s appointment locally because many practices are closed to new patients, said Darren Aaron, director of growth and business development at […]

http://www.newsday.com Where they stand on health care, as adapted from an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. JOHN MCCAIN OVERALL. Begin taxing employer-sponsored health benefits as income, instead providing a tax credit of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to increase incentives for insurance coverage. Contain costs through payment changes to providers and tort […]

http://www.delcotimes.com Gov. Ed Rendell was a busy man on Thursday, signing dozens of new bills into law. There were measures, among others, providing funds to repair bridges, add new county judges – including one for Delaware County – and to restrict the use of mandatory overtime for nurses.

Boston Business Journal – by Mark Hollmer http://sanantonio.bizjournals.co Twelve physician specialties are in seriously short supply in Massachusetts, according to a new industry study, with three new categories added to the list just this year. Newly insured patients, combined with an exodus of medical residents, are contributing to the problem. For the first time, oncology, […]

By Hadley Catalano http://www.bigislandweekly.com Is there a diagnosis to Hawai`i’s health care crisis? According to state Sen. Josh Green, Third District (West Hawai`i), the cure rests in the state’s willingness to pass legislation on medical malpractice and reimbursement reform. “In the upcoming legislative session, I will introduce a comprehensive health care reform bill in the […]

http://www.stclairrecord.com By Steve Gonzalez

Dr. ALLAN PEREL NEW DORP [The writer is president of the Richmond County Medical Society] http://www.silive.com On behalf of the over 1,000 physicians who practice on Staten Island, I would like to thank and recognize the work of Gov. David Paterson, the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly for passing cutting-edge legislation […]

By Aaron Wasserman/Daily News staff http://www.milforddailynews.com The number of primary care practices closed to new patients is growing as the state sees shortages among those doctors and other specialities, according to a study being released today. In its annual survey of the labor market for physicians, the Massachusetts Medical Society says patient demand is outstripping […]