Duquesne, Medical Centers Partner to Address Physician Shortages

Many rural areas throughout Pennsylvania are facing a physician shortage, a problem that is projected to worsen in the coming years. Duquesne’s proposed College of Medicine (COM) is making plans to address the issue, starting by partnering with medical centers and hospitals in the state’s rural areas.

Image courtesy of SLAM collaborative architects.
Image courtesy of SLAM collaborative architects.

The COM, scheduled to launch in fall 2024, recently signed agreements with medical centers and hospitals in northwestern Pennsylvania, including the Meadville Medical Center and its partner Titusville Area Hospital. Both health care providers will offer clinical placements for 22 third-year and fourth-year medical students from Duquesne. Butler Memorial Hospital also has agreed to place up to 50 third-year and fourth-year students at its site.

The COM continues to develop additional partnerships with health centers throughout the state and also has established relationships with several health enterprises in western Pennsylvania.

“These agreements help us set the stage to train and educate medical students where they will be working as doctors in the future,” William Generett, Jr., vice president of civic engagement and external relations, said. “There is a critical shortage of doctors nationwide, which is felt most profoundly in rural areas. The working relationships with these health centers provide us with the inroads needed to address this shortage.”

While nearly one million people live in the 10 counties that comprise northwestern Pennsylvania, access to health care in the region is limited. Residents in these counties also tend to be older and have higher rates of chronic health conditions, Generett said.

A new gift from the Dr. and Mrs. Arthur William Phillips Charitable Trust in Oil City, Pa., will support a cutting-edge examination room with advanced simulation technology in which COM students will practice the skills needed to work effectively with diverse patients from underserved communities. The exam room will be named after the trust.

“I’d like to thank the Phillips Charitable Trust for its generous funding of this important initiative,” Generett said. “Duquesne’s College of Medicine is one of the most forward-looking medical schools in the country, and we are excited to begin educating the next generation of physicians to serve northwestern Pennsylvania.”

The COM exemplifies Duquesne’s long-standing commitment to promoting equity and opportunity in the region. The University’s Center for Integrative Health (CIH) has made a major impact in providing health services for the region’s vulnerable populations, as its services have led to a significant reduction in the number of children with uncontrolled asthma. Most recently, the CIH provided COVID-19 vaccinations to more than 5,500 people in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.