Primary care offices struggle with staffing, parents struggle to get appointments

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. — Parents in Central New York have likely experienced the frustration of trying to schedule an appointment with a pediatrician.

Dr. Robert Dracker with Summerwood Pediatrics says it is getting more difficult trying to recruit people into primary care positions.

One issue he believes is turning away college graduates is the pay compensation.

"People go into primary care not really for financial reasons. They go into primary care to take care of patients and families," he adds.

In addition to everyday struggles, Dracker has noticed more mental health issues amongst younger patients. He believes the pandemic has made these issues worse.

Dracker explains "it's very draining and at times you feel like, despite your best efforts and attempts to try to help kids and families, they just don't get the support they need."

Finding a counselor that's easy to work with and insurance that will cooperate is also a challenge he's come across when trying to get patients the help they need.

As far as being reimbursed, Dracker says that is further complicating primary care. Overhead costs are up 30% - 40% and reimbursements have not matched that, according to Dracker.

Overall, he says "there's no enticement to do primary care."

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. is expected to face a shortage of primary care physicians ranging from 21,000 to 55,000 by 2033.

When looking at the future, Dracker believes telehealth is not the way to go.

Although it can be convenient in some cases, "telehealth is way overplayed," he says.

Dracker adds "telehealth is not a substitution for one-on-one interaction with a patient."