Future of primary care in state depends on retention, not just recruitment

Nevada’s primary care shortage is no longer a warning on the horizon — it is a daily reality for patients and clinicians alike. Recent investments in health care funding are an important step forward, but funding alone will not solve the problem unless it is paired with a long-term workforce strategy focused on retention and training.

For years, Nevada has worked to recruit physicians from outside the state to fill urgent gaps in care. While recruitment matters, it is not enough. Physicians who relocate temporarily without deep ties to the communities they serve are less likely to stay long-term. The result is a revolving door that strains clinics, disrupts continuity of care, and leaves patients starting over again and again.

Research and experience show that physicians are far more likely to practice long-term in places where they train. Medical students who rotate in rural and underserved communities, residents who build relationships with local patients, and early-career physicians who feel professionally supported are more likely to stay. Training location matters — and so does what happens after training ends.

That means Nevada’s workforce strategy must extend beyond increasing medical school seats or residency positions. It must include intentional pipelines that support students and residents from education through early practice. Rural and community-based training tracks, partnerships with safety-net clinics and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and loan repayment programs tied to service commitments are proven tools that deserve sustained investment.

Retention also depends on working conditions. Burnout, administrative overload and understaffed teams drive physicians away from primary care — often early in their careers. If Nevada wants clinicians to stay, we must create environments where they can practice medicine effectively and sustainably. Team-based care, reasonable patient panels, and leadership structures that value continuity and professional well-being are not luxuries; they are retention strategies.

The stakes are high. A stable primary care workforce improves health outcomes, reduces emergency department overuse, and lowers long-term health care costs. Communities with consistent primary care access are healthier, more resilient and better positioned for economic growth.

Nevada has an opportunity right now — not just to spend health care dollars, but to spend them wisely. By aligning education, policy and practice environments, we can build a primary care workforce that does not simply pass through our state but puts down roots.

Recruitment brings clinicians in the door. Retention keeps care accessible for the next generation.

Justin Atkins is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and M.D. candidate at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.