I support Washington State University’s request to the Legislature for $14.4 million over the 2019-21 biennium to provide for 20 additional Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine students in each of those years — taking those entering classes from 60 to 80 students.
The need is great. The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine was established to respond to our state’s overwhelming need to educate more doctors who will practice in Washington, and to address the huge disparity and equity issues associated with access to health care providers in many communities, including our own.
Clark County has just 6.5 primary care physicians for every 10,000 residents. And we are not alone. Half of Washington counties have 10 or fewer physicians per 10,000 people.
Vancouver Clinic serves the health care needs of nearly 200,000 residents of Southwest Washington. Clark County is growing at nearly 2.5 percent a year, and our senior population in the county grew almost 5 percent last year alone.
While Vancouver Clinic was able to recruit 45 doctors and clinicians last year, it is not enough to serve a growing and aging population — especially in critical areas like adult primary care.
Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine students are our students — so far, 100 percent are from the state of Washington. They come from underserved rural and urban areas across the state. One-third are first-generation college students, one-third are students of color, more than one-third are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and more than half are women. One is a 2016 WSU Vancouver alumnus from Washougal.
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is a community-based medical school. Third- and fourth-year medical students go to one of 85 partnering hospitals and clinics around the state to train.
Vancouver Clinic is one of these partners. Our hope is that some of those we train will remain with us to provide better access to family practice, OB-GYN, internal medicine, general surgery and psychiatry physicians in Clark County.
Vancouver Clinic has hosted roughly 20 students per class who are learning what it takes to be a community-based physician in a setting like ours. More than 50 Vancouver Clinic physicians serve as adjunct faculty, and it has been a huge success.
As a medical practitioner, our Washougal native hopes to work in a team-based environment that emphasizes innovative solutions to meet the needs of underrepresented demographics with an emphasis on accessibility, affordability and preventative health. He also is interested in technology innovations that can integrate mental and physical health.
Join me in urging our legislators to support educating 20 more WSU-trained doctors each year.
Mark Mantei is Chief Executive Officer of Vancouver Clinic
