Practice to help address nationwide physician shortage
Bloomington, Ind. (November 20 2009) – Today, the Southern Indiana Medical Group (SIMG) held a groundbreaking ceremony for its newest primary care practice to be located in Bloomington. The practice, set to open in summer 2010, will be located at 1302 South Rogers Street, near the intersection of Rogers and Patterson Streets.
“Nationally, our health care system faces a shortage of primary care physicians. Estimates say in 2010 the shortage will be approximately 54,000 physicians. By 2025, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) says the physician shortage will grow to between 124,000 and 159,000 physicians,” says Mark Moore, president & CEO of Bloomington Hospital. “Today’s groundbreaking is moving our community one step closer to increasing the number of primary care physicians available in Bloomington and Monroe County. We are excited to be able to offer a new primary care practice in this redevelopment area.”
Primary care physicians, most often specializing in family medicine or internal medicine, provide patients with a “medical home” and are often the entry point into the health care system for many patients. The primary care physician is the person who helps patients coordinate their care among specialists as needed, and follows them throughout their lifetime. And, as the population ages, the need for additional primary care physicians will continue to grow.
“Primary care medicine is now taking center stage locally and nationally to provide some of the missing pieces in our national health care system. This includes a return to having the patient at the center of attention, in a setting that facilitates partnerships between patients, their physicians and their families,” says Lee McKinley, M.D., a Bloomington physician board-certified in internal medicine and critical care medicine who will practice at the new facility.
The Southern Indiana Medical Group’s new practice will have four to five primary care physicians in addition to nurse practitioners, nurses and other health care professionals. First Capital Group is developing the new space, which was designed by Bynum Fanyo and will be built by Fox Construction, both local firms.
Bloomington Hospital operates four primary care physician practices through the Southern Indiana Medical Group. For more information about the Southern Indiana Medical Group, please visit bloomingtonhospital.org/simg.
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Bloomington Hospital has been innovative in providing quality care to south central Indiana communities for more than a century. Offering a comprehensive continuum of care, Bloomington Hospital is a not-for-profit organization and has a patient base of 413,000 in 10 counties (Brown, Daviess, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange and Owen.) Bloomington Hospital currently operates two hospital campuses (Bloomington and Orange County) with regional specialty offerings for Heart and Vascular, Behavioral Health, Cancer, Women and Children, Neurology and Orthopedic services. As a leading hospital in Indiana, Bloomington Hospital enhances health by advancing the art and science of medicine through the use of new technologies, procedures and care.