DCI News

Jefferson City, Mo –The Missouri Board of Healing Arts and the University of Missouri School of Medicine are collaborating to collect workforce data to better understand the characteristics of the physician workforce in Missouri.  The survey results will be used in conjunction with other health care workforce data to inform local and state policymakers, public and private health care providers, and health care workforce training programs to better meet Missourians’ health care needs and to ensure the best possible outcomes for Missouri’s population health. 

A November 9th letter to Missouri’s licensed physicians invites them to participate in this data gathering project. The letter explains that in order to meet the healthcare needs of our population, Missouri needs to assess the areas of practice, quantity, demographic characteristics, and practice locations of our physician workforce. Missouri is a diverse state with differing workforce needs in central cities, suburbs and rural areas. Without such information, Missouri risks seriously misallocating expensive resources, confounding opportunities to improve healthcare access and quality, and jeopardizing economic development initiatives that are highly valued in quality health systems.

“We are excited to partner with the University of Missouri to enhance the healthcare workforce data collection for physicians,” says Connie Clarkston, executive director of the Missouri Board of Healing Arts. “This data is essential to understanding the characteristics of the physician workforce and providing a sound resource to policymakers.”

The collection period will run from November 9, 2018 to January 31, 2019. Data collected through this physician survey will be analyzed by the School of Medicine, and shared with the Board of Healing Arts as well as the Missouri Healthcare Workforce Advisory Group. The next phase for the Board of Healing Arts will begin in the fall of 2019 with the collection of workforce data for physical therapists and physical therapy assistants. 

This collection of workforce data was authorized by section 324.001.14 with the passage of HB1816 (merged with SB635) in 2016.