Highland Hospital Press Room
More Space, Doctors at Highland Family Medicine Provide Greater Access to Primary Care
January 6, 2011, Rochester, N.Y. – Highland Family Medicine (HFM) is expanding in size as part of a larger, comprehensive plan to address a primary care physician shortage that is expected to worsen as the population ages and more people become insured under health care reform.
“We receive 50 to 100 new patient phone calls a week because of the shortage,” said Thomas Campbell, M.D., Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and associate director of the Center for Primary Care at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
The physical expansion of HFM is three-fold: Starting this month, HFM moves its administrative offices and teaching space into a renovated neighboring building at 757 South Clinton Avenue. In March, Cornhill Internal Medicine – currently practicing at HFM – will move into new clinical space in the building next door as well. HFM then plans to expand its clinical practice into the space vacated by Cornhill in July, bringing the total number of HFM clinical suites from six to seven.
Adding space is the most recent step HFM and the University of Rochester Family Medicine residency program are taking to address the primary care physician shortage. But other initiatives are in motion, including adding residents, recruiting more faculty members and accepting additional patients.
In November 2010, the Family Medicine residency program received a $1.9 million federal grant to add two positions per year for the next five years. In 2011, this allowed HFM to accept 12 residents for its program instead of 10.
In addition to expanding training programs, health officials hope that by making programs more attractive to medical students, there will be an increased interest in primary care. Family Medicine’s global health program, in which residents provide clinical care to underserved communities in Honduras, has been a draw for residents.
Dr. Campbell says he also has noticed an increased interest in the mission of primary care medicine as the economic climate has changed.
“We have more people applying than in the past because of the quality of our program and its national reputation,” Dr. Campbell says. “I also think more medical students want to be in primary care to feel like they are making a difference, so they’re focusing on the underserved population.”
The Family Medicine residency program also has set out to recruit more faculty members. In the past two years, five faculty members have joined the program.
And with additional physicians available, HFM has been able to provide care to an increased number of patients. By July, when HFM expands into its seventh clinical suite, doctors hope to be seeing 2,500 new patients.
“The number of primary care doctors is still woefully inadequate to meet demand and need, but we’re seeing an improvement,” Dr. Campbell said.
“Our goal is to place more primary care doctors in the community and provide high quality, cost effective care to the underserved.”
The physicians at HFM care for every member of the family at every stage of life. HFM is located at 777 South Clinton Avenue. To make an appointment, call (585)
279-4889.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Barbara Ficarra
Director of Public Relations
(585) 341-6210
Or
Meghan Backus
Public Relations Specialist
(585) 341-0660
