Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Health system in rural Iowa county offers $10,000 for referring a physician who signs a contract

Because the average age of doctors is going up, and fewer younger physicians are taking jobs in rural areas, there is growing concern about the future of health care in those areas. The Hancock County Health System in northern Iowa is trying to lure doctors to its 11,000-population county with big incentives. But not for the doctors. Anyone who refers a physician who ends up signing a contract with the health systems will receive $10,000 after the doctor has worked for one year, DeeDee Stiepen reports for KIMT News in Mason City.

Vance Jackson, CEO of the health system, told Stiepen, "I've been doing this for 27 years and primarily in rural areas, and I've never known a time when we didn't have a shortage." Dr. John Brady is one of only two primary care physicians in the county. He told Stiepen, "As far as rural areas [go], I think it's deceiving sometimes people think that they'll walk into a clinic and it's going to look … that term rural is a little bit deceiving; I think our quality of our clinic system is just as good as any larger clinic system." (Read more) KIMT ews clip:

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