How one physician-legislator is trying to retain doctors in his home state

Unfriendly malpractice laws and a high cost-of-living are driving physicians away from Connecticut, according to State Rep. Prasad Srinivasin. And he should know, since he’s a physician himself.

Srinivasin, a board-certified allergist and the only MD in Connecticut’s state legislature, told the Associated Press he ran into problems hiring an allergist at his practice because of the state being perceived as too expensive and too risky for physicians.

Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges backs up his fears that Connecticut has a physician retention problem. The state ranked 41 out of 50 states by retaining only 19 percent of its medical school graduates in 2014. The retention rate increased to 34.7 percent for physicians who complete their residency in Connecticut and 51.8 percent for both graduates and residents in the state—but those figures are still below national averages.

The solution, according to Srinivasin, is changing the state’s malpractice system. For more on how earlier efforts have failed but how next year’s legislative session could offer a breakthrough, click on the link below: