Washington advisory committee flags shrinking family medicine residencies and lists workforce policy options

The board's Primary Care Advisory Committee presented a set of recommendations and workforce findings the board will consider in coming months. The committee's work covers quality metric alignment, primary care spending measurement, and prior‑authorization streamlining.

Dr. Judy Zirzen Poole reviewed committee findings that family medicine residency match positions have declined and that family medicine supply is stressed, while nurse practitioner and physician assistant supply have increased but many do not enter primary care. Committee slides outlined potential policy actions under consideration, including payment reforms to reduce administrative burden, incentives for family medicine training, adjustments to the Washington student loan program, and exploring how international medical graduates could help fill gaps.

Board members expressed concern about shrinking residency slots. Eileen Cody said she was "quite distressed over the residency program shrinking" and urged examination of strategies other states have used to support family medicine programs. The committee said it will finalize policy recommendations at a fall meeting and present them to the board for consideration in September.