Federal, state and health care officials gathered at the Vermont Health Network’s CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh today to announce the start of a program intended to help recruit new physicians to the northern border region.
The Northern Border Regional Commission is a federal agency created in 2008 that works on economic and workforce development in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and northern New York.
Federal co-chair of the Commission Chris Saunders noted that they are tasked with supporting the region’s rural communities.
“Because of our work being centered on small, rural communities we hear increasingly about the barriers to economic development," said Saunders. "In some communities those barriers are the lack of affordable child care or affordable housing. Also in too many communities we are also hearing about how limited access to health care, and particularly access to primary care, is a challenge to creating thriving communities.”
Saunders announced the launch of the Northern Border Commission’s J-1 Visa Waiver Program to recruit more physicians to rural and underserved areas.
“We have American medical schools that train thousands of international students every year and upon completing their degrees the terms of their visas require these doctors to leave the United States," Saunders noted. "This program will waive the visa requirements for doctors if they agree to practice in an underserved area for three years. And we know that this program works. Our peer commission, the Appalachian Regional Commission, also runs a program available to counties in western New York. NBRC’s program is going to complement these others but will be distinct in a few ways. Unlike the state-based program there’s no cap on the number of waivers the Commission will be able to offer.”
New York Deputy Secretary of State for Local Government Mark Pattison serves as the governor’s alternate on the Appalachian Regional Commission.
“States are allowed a certain number of waivers. But they’re capped," said Pattison. "And so in the Appalachian region they have the same kind of program with an unlimited cap and we’ve been able to help the state of New York exceed that limit and recruit people in the Southern Tier. This program will now expand to the northern borders region. And in New York state that’s 28 additional counties that will be eligible.”
UVM Health Network CVPH and Alice Hyde Medical Centers Director of Medical Staff Recruitment Lisa VanNatten says there is a large pool of potential physicians available through the J-1 waiver program.
“There are many, many J-1 visa applicants that come across our emails to our recruitment team on a daily basis," said VanNatten. "As it was mentioned earlier, we train many of these physicians in the United States but then they’re trying so very hard to stay in the states but their opportunities are limited. You know some areas can’t sponsor waivers and some that do they’re still considering so many applicants. So really in a nutshell that applicant pool is vast.”
The Northern Border Regional Commission program started Tuesday and is available in 56 of 60 counties in the four-state region.
