This is an excerpt from a column posted at BizOpinion
Studies show that Wisconsin is in desperate need of doctors – especially primary care physicians. A 2011 report by the Wisconsin Hospital Association estimates there will be a shortage of 2,000 doctors by 2030. That study led the Medical College of Wisconsin, in part, to open two new satellite campuses — one in Green Bay that opens this fall and one in central Wisconsin, which opens in 2016.
A Shawano-based organization is now looking to help ease the doctor crunch as well. The Shawano Residency Training Program reached an agreement with the city of Shawano last month to turn the soon-to-be vacant Shawano Medical Center into a residency training facility.
ThedaCare will move out of the facility this fall when it opens a new hospital, ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano. The Appleton-based healthcare organization worked with the city of Shawano on coming up with a development plan for the 11-acre site.
City Administrator Brian Knapp says a development group led by Todd Schultz approached the city looking to use the site for a training site for doctors.
“Once it’s up and running, we estimate it will create about 100 jobs, according to what the developers told us,” Knapp says.
