Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Yet it ranks 48th for primary care physicians per 100,000 residents. Let that sink in.

Without an adequate supply of primary care physicians nearby, people may forego preventive care. They may neglect to monitor chronic health conditions, skipping cancer screenings and other health checks. Over time, these behaviors can decrease a person’s quality of life or lower their life expectancy.

Additionally, Utah’s medical practices aren’t evenly distributed. While about 21 percent of Utah’s population lives in rural areas, only 11 percent of primary care physicians practice there. This means that many Utahns travel farther and wait longer to receive proper care from an already strained system.

A Population Health Approach Tackles Social Determinants of Health

Convenient access to care is one of a family of factors known as social determinants of health. These factors describe barriers to good health that people experience in the communities in which they live. Others include access to education, job opportunities, transportation, nutritious food, clean water, and more.

A population health framework integrates social determinants of health and prioritizes health outcomes for all people in a geographic region or health care system. Systems using this approach emphasize preventive care instead of waiting to treat patients after they’ve become ill.

Population health methods help physicians and leaders analyze a community’s social determinants of health. They use what they learn to reduce negative impacts and expand access to positive factors. This approach allows them to focus on restoring patient health and providing affordable, preventive care that meets the needs of the community at large.

From a population health perspective, Utah needs more doctors. Boosting primary care physician numbers across Utah will improve access to care for countless residents. A new training initiative at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, created in collaboration with Intermountain Healthcare, is poised to do just that.

Population Health Scholars are Homegrown Physicians

In 2021, the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare established the Population Health Scholars Program. This innovative program launched at the start of the 2021-22 academic year with a $50 million endowment from Intermountain. The program admits medical students committed to pursuing primary care specialties and applying a population health framework in their future practice.

In its first year, the program welcomed 11 students. Ten more joined in 2022, and 15 are expected to be accepted into the 2023-24 class.

In addition to normal medical training, population health scholars take extra courses to earn a graduate certificate in population health sciences. The certificate provides extra education in population health sciences concepts such as social determinants of health. For instance, they may learn how to direct patients dealing with food insecurity to appropriate local resources. Or they may learn how data in electronic medical records help identify patients at risk of cardiovascular disease or other chronic conditions.

Population Health Scholars Encouraged to Practice in Utah

The Population Health Scholars Program was founded to address health disparities in Utah and address the shortage of primary care physicians. What good would it be without a mechanism to keep its cohort graduates practicing in the state?

Students in the Population Health Scholars Program have half of their tuition and fees covered by the program and receive a guaranteed employment offer with Intermountain Healthcare upon completion of residency.

While the students are free to pursue residency programs outside of Utah, the program incentivizes them to return and begin their careers with Intermountain by offering loan forgiveness to graduates who return and work for Intermountain Healthcare after residency.

Some students interested in population health specialties—family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, general surgery, and psychiatry—may otherwise shy away from becoming primary care physicians because of the financial burden associated with medical school. The Population Health Scholars financial forgiveness program enables students to practice in the fields that they may consider to be a calling without worrying about insurmountable debt.

Program Scholars Enjoy Access to Mentors and Leaders

From the beginning, program scholars are paired with physician mentors at Intermountain Healthcare. The idea is that they will communicate regularly during all four years of medical school, into residency, and beyond. Some students collaborate on projects with their mentors. Others shadow their mentors while they see patients. These experiences help students envision what their day-to-day experiences may be like after residency.

Additionally, program scholars interact academically, clinically, and socially with physicians and leaders from both Intermountain and U of U Health. Having these interactions during medical school helps students recognize that they are on a path to becoming physician leaders themselves.

We are always exploring additional opportunities for scholars to get involved in the community. If you are interested in getting involved, please complete the following brief survey by clicking the link below.

https://utah.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ea09c0j2jOAV0pw

The Population Health Mindset

Population Health Scholars curriculum encourages holistic thinking about patients and the communities they live in. This added layer of experience prepares students to return and provide high-quality care for Utah residents.

Students’ clinical experiences will help them understand the challenges that patients face in their communities. They will become familiar with social determinants that affect patients’ health in rural, suburban, or urban settings.

When Population Health Scholars Program students graduate and move into clinical practice, they will increase the number of primary care physicians across Utah. Over time, this growing segment of new physicians in the primary care specialties should help to improve health care outcomes for all Utahns, no matter where they live.