Sen. Baldacci introduces bill to help address physician shortage in Maine

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, introduced LD 129, “Resolve, to Direct the University of Maine System to Study the Feasibility of Establishing a Public Allopathic Medical School in Penobscot County.” The bill was subject to a public hearing in the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.

“We are suffering from a physician shortage, and conducting this study would be a crucial step in addressing this shortage,” said Sen. Baldacci. “According to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education there are 15 schools with developing medical programs. Maine has the highest median age in the country, meaning we will need more qualified physicians in the coming years. Due to an increasingly aging population, it is estimated that we will need 46,100 to 90,000 physicians by 2025. I believe that the timing is appropriate for this bill, and we must embrace this opportunity for Maine to not only help contribute to solving a statewide problem, but a national one as well.”

Maine currently has no allopathic medical school. LD 129 creates a study to find out whether or not such a school would be possible to develop through the University of Maine system. This bill would require the University of Maine to study the feasibility of developing this school, and report back to the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on Dec. 6, 2023.

“At the heart of each Community Health Center (CHC) is the staff that work every day to deliver innovative, high-quality care. Staff at both the clinical and non-clinical levels understand the communities they serve and are dedicated to ensuring health care access,” said Hannah Hudson of the Maine Primary Care Association. “However, there are long standing challenges related to primary care recruitment and retention in Maine. Some commonly identified issues specific to Maine CHCs are increased retirements due to an aging workforce; difficulty hiring, recruiting, and retaining clinical staff; a dire need for more primary care physicians, RNs, and behavioral health clinicians (such as LCSWs); wage inflation and competition; and a lack of high-quality training that prepares staff for employment at a CHC.”

The bill faces further action in committee.