Representative Dr. Terry McMillan says in many areas of New Mexico there is a shortage of all kinds of heath care providers, and there are many problems in recruiting doctors to the area.
"First of all our economy is not that good," McMillan said. "You know a third of our patients are Medicare, so it's difficult to recruit providers, we also have a pretty difficult tort environment, and it's difficult to recruit providers into a state where the tort environment is not very good."
McMillan sponsored a bill that passed in the house that would try to help bring more doctors into those shortage areas, by providing student loans to the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is set to open this year.
"One of the things that the state legislature has been doing for UNM students for years now is offering them loans for service," McMillan said. "And basically what's done is, students are advanced loans to help deter the costs of their education, and in turn they agree to serve in some of the underserved areas of New Mexico after they complete their training."
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