BOISE, Idaho — “There is no conceivable way to lift and shift this work in 24 months, as this bill suggests,” said WWAMI educator and Dr. Andrea Christopher.
Advocates gathered at the Statehouse on Friday to oppose House Bill 176, which addresses medical education and would essentially end Idaho's existing partnership with the WWAMI program at the University of Washington.
Many doctors worry that, without a nearby option, students will seek education elsewhere and not return to Idaho, where the state is already dealing with a doctor shortage.
“Getting rid of the WWAMI program will definitely lead to a greater healthcare shortage in Idaho,” said Dr. Kelsey Wertzler.
“One of the things WWAMI does is introduce students from Washington and Wyoming to the medical communities in Idaho. Many of these students ultimately choose to practice in Idaho,” said Dr. Mark Uranga, a WWAMI educator.
Bill supporters argue that Idaho needs more flexibility in placing its medical students. They contend the WWAMI program has been unable to expand its capacity to accommodate an increase in student enrollment.
In an interview, Dr. Uranga, a pediatrician who trained through the WWAMI program, emphasized that this is not an “either-or” situation. He said they all want to see more physician training and residency positions in the Gem State.
“So that we can address a universal goal: increasing the number of physicians coming back to practice in Idaho or even attracting them from other places,” said Dr. Uranga.
Anna Roy said Dr. Uranga and his training are the reasons her son is thriving. He was originally diagnosed with leukemia, but after being examined by Dr. Uranga, he was accurately diagnosed with an allergy instead.
“I have a 6-year-old who is thriving today, attending Spanish school, because of the people trained through WWAMI here in Boise who knew exactly what to do,” Roy said.
Dr. Joseph Homestead, who trained in rural communities, worries the quality of training will suffer if the WWAMI program is abandoned.
“Not only will we have less quality, but we’ll have less quantity of physicians. As a doctor currently practicing in Caldwell, where I grew up in Middleton, we already face a huge shortage, and that’s terrifying,” Dr. Homestead said.
