Idaho continues to rank last in nation for pediatricians

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho continues to rank last in the nation for pediatricians, creating challenges for families seeking health care for their children.

According to Full Circle Health, Idaho has less than half the national average of pediatricians per child, with just 50 pediatricians for every 100,000 children in the state.

The first pediatrics residency program in Idaho was introduced in July 2023 by Full Circle Health and was created to help address the state's pediatrician shortage.

Dr. Perry Brown, a general pediatrician and program director for the Full Circle Health Pediatrics Residency of Idaho, said the program is focused on building a pipeline of pediatricians who are more likely to stay and practice in Idaho long-term.

Why is Idaho facing a pediatrician shortage?

Brown said relying solely on recruiting physicians from other states can be difficult, contributing to the shortage.

"One of the things we run into is if you don't train people nearby, you entirely depend upon people moving here. And that often is a harder sell," Brown said.

Brown added that some pediatricians consider state policies and the overall health care environment when deciding where to practice.

"A lot of pediatricians are hesitant to move to places that do not have child-health-friendly policies and politics, and that has historically and recently been a little bit of a challenge for our state," Brown said.

What's next?

Brown believes residency programs can help change that by creating a pipeline of doctors who are more likely to stay after completing their training.

"The advantage of having a training program within the state of Idaho is that, traditionally about 50 to 60%, sometimes as high as 70% of graduates will stay in-state," Brown said. "So it's a way of actually training people to remain in the state of Idaho and hopefully gradually increase the presence of pediatricians in our state."

Brown said Idaho's first pediatric residency program is already showing early signs of success. In its first graduating class, two of the four residents chose to remain in Idaho and practice medicine.