Montana's healthcare industry is like many others in the state: short on staff.
A physician shortage has been around for years with the challenge of recruiting and keeping doctors in Montana.
The Rocky Vista University(RVU) administration and the Yellowstone Valley Medical Society (YVMS) met with legislators hoping to get some help in the key area of residency programs.
“The vast majority of our students are going to have no choice but to go to another state to do their residency training,” said Dr. David Park, RVU dean.
Park says about 75 students will graduate in 2027 and soon after it will be 160 each year.
“Many of those students will have to do their residencies in another state, which means the likelihood of them staying in that state is way higher than them returning back to Montana,” Park said.
Billings physician Mike Bush is one of the physicians explaining that process at the YVMS Legislator Day on Friday.
“Actually grew up in Indiana, did my medical school residency in Indianapolis and stayed there for five years afterwards,” said Bush.
Other Montanans said they only found their way back after years away.
“I'm a family physician,” said Dr. Michael Temporal. “I moved here 10 years ago, but like Dr. Lee have had family roots here.”
“Had to go away for residency, just like they described,” said Dr. Julie Middleton. “And have been back for about two years. Was in Great Falls and then came back to Billings for family reasons.”
According to the American Osteopathic Association, Montana ranks 48th in the country with a little less than 150 positions for residency and graduate medical education.
“To me, as the dean of this medical school, the most critical priority is the starting of new residency programs,” Park said.
Park says hospitals need the initial investment to start a residency program, which can cost up to $2 million.
State Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, says the Legislature has been able to pass bills such as tax credits for physicians who oversee residents.
She says the Legislature can do more by working with the insurance commissioner, hospitals, the medical association and Rocky Vista.
“The one thing that's very bipartisan is that we all need good physicians and I think everyone here loves Montana,” Vinton said.
“The best solution is to support the medical school and the medical education program at the medical school level and the graduate medical education level and residency so that we can train and retain our own,” Park said.
