Survey sees shortage of docs statewide

Separate assessments of the health care landscape Wednesday suggested a double dose of bad news: a shortage of doctors statewide and a possible loss of more than $40 million for Long Island hospitals.

News of the shortage comes from a survey by the Healthcare Association of New York State. It not only revealed a lack of doctors, but also predicted an accelerating shortage as more physicians retire or leave the state. The shortage is concentrated in upstate New York, though some downstate areas, mostly poor or minority communities, also had fewer physicians.

Not counting New York City, the survey found 34 percent of hospitals reduced or eliminated services in the past two years because they lacked doctors.

Additionally, 66 percent of hospitals reported such acute physician shortages that emergency rooms have gone without some specialists. Patients then had to be transferred to other hospitals, according to the report, titled "The Doctor Can't See You Now."

Long Island was part of a regional increase in the overall number of physicians in most specialties from 2005 to 2009, even though Nassau experienced a 5 percent decline in surgical sub-specialists and a 6 percent decline in internal medicine specialists.

Experts not connected with the report noted that although rural New York has been hit hard by the physician shortage, other areas have a growing population of doctors.

"Is there a doctor shortage? Well, that depends on where you sit," said Jean Moore, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Albany, which was not involved in the survey.

Long Island and Manhattan's Upper East Side, she said, are flush with doctors.

"I mean it really looks like there's an abundant supply of physicians on Long Island," Moore said, "but that's looking from 30,000 feet. When you take a closer look and really drill down on those numbers, that's when you notice that not everyone is adequately served."

Melissa Mansfield, spokeswoman for the health care association, said the organization supports policies to retain and recruit physicians in underserved communities.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, said Wednesday he would call on Congress to reject legislation that would cut more than $40 million in Medicare funding from Long Island hospitals over the next 10 years.

The measure is now under consideration by a House and Senate conference committee.

"What I am doing this week is urging my colleagues in the House and Senate to prevent this cut and to find a better way," Schumer said.

Schumer said he was asking lawmakers to consider using the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund, a $700-billion reserve maintained to support troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.