Struggling Doctor's Practices in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: A Shortage of Medical Assistants
Doctors' offices in MV are experiencing a significant shortage of medical assistants. - Healthcare institutions in MV face a significant shortage of healthcare providers
Are you a doctor in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern? If so, you're probably feeling the squeeze. According to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (KVMV), there's a significant shortage of medical assistants (MFAs) in the region.
Here's the deal: As of mid-last year, there were 6,422 MFAs working in practices in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, according to the Association of Medical Professions (VMF). But with the demographic shift, the number of MFA trainees has been on a downward spiral since 2021, as pointed out by VMF President Hannelore König.
What's more, many MFAs are bailing out due to the, let's face it, measly salaries compared to the amount of responsibility and daily stress involved. That's what König says, anyway.
You might be wondering, "What's the big deal?" Well, practices are facing an uphill battle when it comes to recruitment. Grit Büttner, from KVMV, acknowledges that they don't have exact figures on the number of unfilled MFA positions, but they've been hearing tales of recruitment woes from their members. And chances are, things are only going to get worse.
The reason for the shortage? Demographic change, according to KVMV. And no, it's not because MFA isn't a cool profession. On the contrary, it still enjoys high respect. The problem is that trained MFAs are being poached by hospitals, insurance companies, and other providers of healthcare services.
KVMV and VMF President, König, predicts that the shortage will grow worse in the coming years, as the baby boomer generation retires and more MFAs are needed to relieve physicians.
So what can be done? Eliminating the competitive distortion between practices and clinics would be a start, according to König. And while the VMF has managed to secure substantial wage increases for MFAs, the gap to comparable professions remains wide. MFAs have the same training duration as nursing professionals and the same high level of patient responsibility, according to the VMF President.
To tackle this issue, the KVMV is primarily advocating for an increase in the number of MFA training places and has launched a campaign to promote MFA training.
Now, here's where things get a bit tricky: The search results don't provide specific solutions proposed by the KVMV to address the shortage of medical assistants in doctor's practices. However, potential strategies that might be considered for addressing shortages include increasing the availability of training programs, recruiting international staff, improving work conditions and benefits for MFAs, and implementing technology and process improvements to streamline administrative tasks.
If you want to get your hands on the KVMV's specific solutions, it would be best to contact them directly or refer to their official publications.
- To address the growing issue of medical assistant shortages within doctor's practices in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the KVMV is advocating for an increase in the number of MFA training places and has launched a campaign to promote vocational training.
- As the demand for medical assistants continues to rise due to the retirement of baby boomers and the ongoing recruitment woes, the KVMV suggests exploring potential strategies such as increasing the availability of training programs, recruiting international staff, improving work conditions and benefits for MFAs, and implementing technology and process improvements to streamline administrative tasks.
