Doctor shortage a growing problem that demands response

Re “Routine care increasingly hard to find in S.D.” (Aug. 12): I’ve experienced everything author Caitlin H. Morrison described. San Diego has four health care providers. Yet try to get an appointment within two months. I recently needed to see a specialist. My wait is three months. I had to reschedule my annual physical and experienced a two-month wait.

Obviously, there’s a doctor shortage — at least 80,000 doctors nationwide. For rural residents the situation is far worse, exacerbated by Trump’s draconian policies, which are expected to shutter many hospitals. I’ve not heard of any coordinated nationwide effort by health care providers to rectify the situation, perhaps by creating incentives for college students to enter medical school and then enter general practice. Multifaceted solutions are required, including insurance industry reform.

But there must be the will. The health care industry must not accept this as the norm, but I fear it does. Concerted industry-wide action is needed.

— Beth Givens, Linda Vista