Leonardtown, MD — There’s a shortage of primary care doctors in St. Mary’s County. Health Officer Dr. Meenakshi Brewster reports a 20 to 40 percent shortage of doctors in the county, according to statistics from a study released in 2014 by the Maryland Heath Care Commission. The shortage is greater in St. Mary’s than in neighboring Charles and Calvert counties.

Dr, Brewster presented the statistics to the county commissioners, sitting as the St. Mary’s County Board of Health, during their Sept. 27 semi-annual meeting.

Commissioner of St. Mary’s County Mike Hewitt (R – 2nd District) said that he is now being treated by a nurse practitioner since his former family doctor retired. He asked Dr. Brewster if nurse practitioners were taking up the slack in the doctor shortage.

 “Nurse practitioners are a wonderful component of our health care delivery system,” Brewster answered.

Brewster recited several strategies to address the workforce problem:


• Increase in-county training programs to students and medical residents, including accommodating the last stages of training.
• Create a pipeline of health professionals from the county with students of all ages at different levels of education.

There are three Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Maryland in every region except Southern Maryland. Dr. Brewster said the state program office for the three regions is located at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine. Supported by a national network, the state AHEC aids in recruitment, training and retention of doctors.

Dr. Brewster said she and the other two health officers in Southern Maryland have talked about encouraging the establishment of an AHEC in Southern Maryland, which would have to be done by the state. Hewitt wondered what the College of Southern Maryland’s role would be in that. Dr. Brewster said they concentrate more on nursing education, but they would surely play a key role on establishing an AHEC.

St. Mary’s County is not alone. Doctor shortages are rampant through out the state and the rest of the country.

There are also no shortages of theories on the cause of this dilemma.Some have blamed Obamacare and the aging American population.

One study from the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that by the year 2025, the United States will face a shortage of between 61,700-94,700 physicians. There will be shortages in both primary and specialty care, and specialty shortages will be particularly large.

Commissioner Tom Jarboe (R – 1st District) told the BayNet that doctors are now making less money than other professions, causing a shift in interest away from the medical profession. Jarboe is the son of the late, beloved St, Mary’s County family physician Dr. J. Patrick Jarboe.

At the semi-annual meeting, Dr. Brewster also gave an update on the Zika virus, which she called “an international public health emergency.” Since she last gave an update six months ago, Zika has spread to parts of the United States, especially in south Florida. The virus is transmitted by mosquitos bites and sexual transmission (vaginal and oral exposure)

To date, more than 3,000 Zika cases have been reported in the United States, and the majority were travel related. Only 43 were locally-acquired mosquito borne. Ninety-five cases have been reported in Maryland, of which three were lab-confirmed from Southern Maryland.

Prevention of localized transmission includes testing, bite prevention, reducing the sources of the mosquitos and eradication. Dr. Brewster says the most prevalent mosquito carryng Zita lives in water-filled containers, so eliminating that source is a good prevention method.

All pregnant travelers, even if they show no symptoms, and pregnant women sexually exposed to partners who’ve recently traveled should be tested. Non-pregnant travelers with symptoms and infants are also recommended to test for the Zika virus. Testing can be arranged through local health-care providers or the health department.

Dr. Brewster also reported the need for additional staffing in their infectious disease department due in part to the increased needs for Zika testing.

Contact Dick Myers at dick. myers@thebaynet.com