FLAGSTAFF — Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema visited North Country Healthcare in Flagstaff and heard about challenges and opportunities facing providers and patients in northern Arizona.
“Arizona suffers from primary care shortages across the state, especially in rural and Native American communities. We’re finding new ways to ensure all Arizonans have access to quality, affordable health care,” said Sinema.
To help combat Arizona’s doctor shortages, Sinema wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support a new policy that reimburses medical students for residencies at Critical Access Hospitals, including the 15 Critical Access Hospitals across Arizona.
Sinema is also championing the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which increases the number of medical training positions in areas with a physician shortage, like Northern Arizona. Sinema cosponsored the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act, to increase the number of primary care doctors in rural and medically-underserved communities.
The Senator joined the What You Can Do For Your Country Act, to improve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for doctors, nurses, first responders, and other service professionals.
Sinema also cosponsored the Mental Health Improvement Act, which allows more mental health professionals to be covered under Medicare so seniors in rural Arizona have increased access to health services.
