May 8, 2025
On May 3, as part of its ongoing efforts to understand trends and changes in the Minnesota physician workforce, the MMA Board of Trustees discussed a recent analysis of workforce data presented by representatives of the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Healthcare Workforce Analysis Group.
Contrary to anecdotal stories, the number of licensed physicians in Minnesota has increased by 8,910 or 31.3% between 2010-2024. There are now more than 29,000 actively licensed physicians in the state, about 23,000 of whom are involved in a direct patient care position.
The rate of increase in physician licensure has been outpaced over the same time period, however, by the increase in licensure among PAs (67.9%) and APRNS (52.9%), reported Teri Fritsma, PhD. She was joined in her presentation by fellow MDH staffers: Zora Radosevich and Nitika Moibi, MPP.
The geographic distribution of physicians remains a challenge, especially in the following specialties: there are .5 psychiatrists; 1.1 pediatricians; and 1.1 OB/GYNs per 100,000 people located in rural areas of the state. Overall, 4.4% physicians practice in rural parts of the state; 15% of Minnesotans live in rural parts of the state.
Nineteen percent of physicians reported that they intend to leave the workforce in the next one to five years, with nearly 10% reporting burnout/dissatisfaction as the reason. The main reason for dissatisfaction stems from “paperwork demands” being too high, followed by “management doesn’t listen to my concerns.”
The presentation and Board member discussion will help inform ongoing MMA advocacy efforts.
May 29, 2025
As the Legislature works to complete its work on the state’s two-year budget, another deadline is looming. Legislators are required to pass a balanced budget before the end of the fiscal year—June 30, 2025. If they don’t meet that deadline, the state will begin a partial shutdown.
May 29, 2025
Registration has opened for the Empowering Physicians: A Night of Reflection and Engagement event, featuring best-selling author Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD.
May 29, 2025
The AMA is encouraging physicians to contact their U.S. senators and urge them to revise the reconciliation bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. While the bill includes language that would stabilize Medicare physician payments, it also threatens to cripple Medicaid and CHIP.