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MEDICAL YEAR
IN REVIEW

Pandemic pressures in hospital care changed how many physicians physicians for whom this is a priority. Giving physicians a voice in op-
practice medicine. Physicians took locums opportunities during the erations, and increased recruitment initiatives for all staffing needs in
pandemic because of the higher pay and flexibility of schedules, which our hospitals are also potential solutions that could help to address
added to the cycle of shortages within practices and additional stress for shortages and burnout. In the meantime, hospitals will have to make
full-time physicians. The advent and increase in Telehealth have allowed difficult decisions on what services they can offer depending on physi-
providers to work remotely, creating a barrier to recruitment in a num- cian availability. Flexibility, the willingness to adapt and change how we
ber of hospital specialties. deliver care and ultimately continued dedication to our patients, can
Repercussions from physician burnout can include poor access to and will overcome any challenge we are faced with. Our physicians have
care, longer wait times and delayed care. This becomes especially perti- persevered through one of the greatest healthcare challenges of our time.
nent in our primary-care network. A 2021 report by the Kaiser Family The COVID pandemic has made us stronger as a profession and we
Foundation found that more than 83 million people in the United continue to advocate for improvements in the care for our patients and
States live in a designated primary-care health professional shortage area for each other as colleagues with the help of organizations like the Bexar
(HPSA), and more than 14,800 practitioners are needed to remove the County Medical Society.
HPSA designation. This primary care shortage can result in patients de- Thank you to all our physicians for all you do every day to advocate
laying their care until they are in crisis, resulting in a stressed Emergency for patients, staff and our communities.
Department with a domino effect in other areas of the hospital.
Is there a solution to physician shortages and burnout? It is evident Sowjanya Mohan, MD is the Chief Medical Officer at Baptist
that a multipronged approach is needed, starting with changes to how Health System. She is a member of Bexar County Medical
we educate our future physicians, providing more opportunities and less Society.
expensive options. We must be more flexible in how physicians practice
in the hospital, offering incentives that incorporate lifestyle balance for

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