The country's largest recruiter of physicians has issued a call to doctors in case they're needed for a national emergency, or as replacements for their colleagues called into military service.
News Specialist Ed Yeates reports the nationwide iniative is called "Ready to Respond."
CompHealth based out of Salt Lake City is the largest provider of physicians and nurses who remain on call, as needed, by their colleagues - or during times of crisis.
Dr. Michael Jennings is a full-time physician. But he's one of hundreds across the country who over the years have occassionally served with CompHealth to go where needed as a temporary fill-in.
After September 11th - and now with the war in Afghanistan - approximately 13-thousand medical reservists have either been called up or are on a standby in case they're needed right away or in months to come. When those doctors go, somebody has to step in and serve their patients.
MICHAEL JENNINGS, M.D., FAMILY PRACTITIONER: "GETTING EXTRA MEDICAL HELP ON SHORT NOTICE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO. THERE IS NOT A STOCKPILE THAT WE CAN GO TO AND GATHER PHYSICIANS AND OTHER MEDICAL PERSONNEL OFF THE SHELF AND PLUG THEM IN WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED."
Out of its national headquarters here in Salt Lake, CompHealth is trying to do just that with its "Ready to Respond" databank.
Routinely, it provides temporary medical personnel in all specialities. But the demand now involves physicians in emergency medicine, anaesthesiology and surgery - willing to fill-in for those MOST likely to be called away as medical reservists. Or how about another national emergency if one should occur.
"SO FAR, THE RESPONSE AMONG BOTH PHYSICIANS AND THEIR INTEREST IN BEING ADDED TO THE REGISTRY AS WELL AS HEALTH CARE CLIENTS ASSISTING AS WELL HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL.
SCOTT BECK, COMPHEALTH: "WE ANTICIPATE DEVELOPING AN EXTENSIVE DATABASE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO HELP IN A POSSIBLE PHYSICIAN STAFFING CRISIS THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING."
CompHealth's registery currently includes young doctors just entering practice, others wanting a change of scenery - or physicians retiring who want to keep working - but only part-time.
Dec. 21, 2001
