Physician-Led, Team-Based Care

With 30 million more Americans able to access health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the demand for high quality and efficient primary care will increase dramatically. This, combined with a shortage of primary care professionals and an aging population, will place tremendous stress on our primary care system. Some say the best way to solve the primary care shortage is with independent practicing nurse practitioners, claiming they can be trained cheaper and faster, and paid less. While all health professionals are crucial members of the patient’s health care team, the roles of team members are not interchangeable.

Each member of the professional health care team plays a vital role in ensuring that patients have access to care that is comprehensive, preventive, efficient and most importantly, effective. Physician-led care teams are the best answer to alleviating health care access issues. Patients need to get the right care from the right professional at the right time, but at all times, the expertise and deep clinical training of the primary care physician is the foundation.

Below are some helpful resources that advocate for physician-led, team-based care:

American Academy of Family Physicians Resources

Robert Graham Center Resource

Additional Resources

Additional Information