Ohio Department Of Health Celebrates Primary Care Week By Highlighting Local Physicians

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 17 Oct 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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More than 1.5 million Ohioans reside in areas that have been federally designated as having a shortage of primary care providers. These shortages impact residents' ability to access care in many rural and urban communities throughout the state.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) works daily to address access issues in Ohio. Through its Primary Care and Rural Health Program, ODH assists underserved communities in recruiting and retaining primary care providers through various state and federal incentive programs. These programs include the National Health Service Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs, state loan repayment including a Minority/Appalachian Loan Repayment Initiative and visa waiver programs for foreign physicians.

"ODH is committed to helping Ohioans get needed primary care," said Director Alvin D. Jackson, M.D. "These programs are a key part of that commitment."

Gov. Ted Strickland designated the week of Oct. 6th as Primary Care Week. The week focuses the attention of medical and other health professions students on primary care career options and encourages Ohio residents to recognize the importance of primary care providers and their contributions to health care delivery and society.

Jackson, who participated in the National Health Service Corp (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program while practicing at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Fremont, knows firsthand the struggles of those with little or no access to quality health care services.

"Primary Care Week is a time to thank those who work in underserved areas in Ohio and raise awareness of this issue in our state," Jackson said. "I understand the importance of their work." Physicians who have contributed to increasing access to primary care in their communities and participated in ODH recruitment and retention programs include:

-- Rafay Atiq, M.D., of Dittmer Outpatient Services in Troy, was one of 30 psychiatrists in the United States honored as an "Exemplary Psychiatrist" by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Atiq is a current J-1 Visa Waiver Program participant.

-- Anthony Atkins, M.D., a Family Practitioner with Allen County Health Partners in Lima, released a compact disc of rap music to help inner-city youth make the right choices about their health and their lives. Atkins recently completed his NHSC Scholarship Program service.

-- Christopher Coulson, D.O., a Family Practitioner with Arrowhead Clinic in Newcomerstown, is a member of the Army National Guard who has been deployed twice to Iraq. Coulson is a current participant in a joint state-federal loan repayment program.

-- Douglas Jones, D.O., a Family Practitioner with Jenkins Memorial Health Clinic in Wellston, received the Ohio Critical Access Hospital Program' s Rural Health Provider Award for his outstanding patient care , dedication and leadership. Jones is a former NHSC Scholarship Program participant who has remained in practice in Jackson County for over 20 years.

To contact a physician in your area who is truly making a difference in providing primary care to the underserved, please reference this list (PDF - pages 3 and 4).

Ohio Department of Health
http://www.odh.ohio.gov