LAKE GEORGE -- The Adirondacks are hemorrhaging doctors. More primary care physicians are fleeing the North Country than ever before. Burned out by the grind of a country doctor, they're being lured away to other states with offers of better pay, more vacation time and fewer nights on-call. In some cases, new patients have to be turned away, while others have to travel farther or wait longer to see a physician. Health clinics are in danger of closing because they're losing money as reimbursement rates remain flat and costs climb. Openings for physicians are going unfilled, meaning doctors who stay behind in the poor, rural region are struggling to treat more people, driving more miles between clinics and working more hours. All the while, they're expected to pay back hefty medical school loans and cover the steep cost of malpractice insurance. The inducements to bolt are many and proving harder to resist.
Remedy sought for MD crisis -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY
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