This Week in Primary Care

The New Bedford Issue

Happy news in the PC4AA universe! The PC4AA New Bedford, MA Workgroup released their primary care report– the first of its kind, and born of a process that inspired large pieces of the PC4AA Local Playbook.

Led by Pam Kavanaugh, the New Bedford Work Group includes community-based organizations, healthcare professionals, faith-based organizations, and the community’s three largest healthcare organizations. They collected data from local primary care practices about staffing (including the languages clinicians speak), patient numbers, and appointment wait times, and analyzed what will be needed to care for all the people of New Bedford. They learned that 20,000-25,000 people lack a regular primary care relationship, and recommended training or recruiting 13-17 additional primary care clinicians to reach the goal of high-quality primary care for everyone living in New Bedford. In the launch event on November 3rd, in collaboration with One South Coast Chamber of Commerce, they presented to the region’s legislature delegation and state-level health policy officials. You can read the report here: Report on Primary Care Access in New Bedford, Massachusetts 2025.

It is hard to overstate how important– and rare– it is for community members and their government to have this kind of actionable information on primary care. From this information the workgroup has developed a work plan for the next five years, which includes primary-care pipeline/pathway programs for middle- and high-school students; counseling programs to help local students gain acceptance to medical and nursing schools; locally funded scholarships and loan repayment programs with obligations to return to practice in the New Bedford area; and hopefully new residency programs to train family physicians, pediatricians, and primary care nurse practitioners and physician assistants in New Bedford– all while continuing to track and report local primary care access.

The report’s last words are inspiration for everyone working to secure primary care for themselves and their neighbors:

We are grateful for the robust participation of everyone and all the health care organizations in New Bedford and in surrounding communities.

The primary care crisis in the US has developed over many years. People in New Bedford, working together, can solve it for New Bedford in a way that works best in New Bedford.

We encourage you to read the report to start thinking about what you could do with your neighbors in your own community. It is going to take concerted action by concerned people to build a healthcare system for people, not profit, as Dr. Zirui Song will discuss in our December 9th Teach-In/Learn-In, "Communities, Primary Care and the Free Market." Working together, we can secure Primary Care for All Americans.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: December 9th 8:30pm Teach-In/Learn-In with Dr. Zirui Song!

Registration link to come.

Seeking Interviewees for an Article on the Lack of Diversity in Primary Care Practice

From PC4AA's Eve Shapiro: "I am researching an article on the reasons for the continued lack of diversity among primary care physicians. If you are a medical student or resident of color, would you be willing to talk with me about your experiences applying to medical school/residency and going through training? I will grant anonymity to anyone willing to talk to me about their current or recent experiences. Please contact me if you’re willing to schedule an interview for 30 minutes or less: eveshapiro912@gmail.com. Thank you."



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We're hiring!

Primary Care for All Americans is searching for enthusiastic people for the following part-time roles. Depending on your qualifications, job descriptions may be combined or adjusted. Pay is $20-$30/hour, depending on experience. No experience is required, except where noted. 

• The production associate will coordinate constituent relations, manage the mailing list, produce bi-weekly newsletters, manage the scheduling of meetings for multiple committees and state and local workgroups, update the website, and help out in other ways that come up. Five hours per week. 

• The communications associate will develop and nurture relationships with external partners, oversee internal and external communications, including social media, and contribute to the newsletter and website. 

Please express your interest by emailing us:

We’re excited to invite you to join us in making a meaningful difference in healthcare access for all Americans. By becoming a Primary Care Champion, you can support our vital work and help us create a healthier future for everyone.

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Together, we can drive impactful change in our communities.

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We may even ask you to share your story with our supporters in one of our Teach-In/Learn-Ins! You can watch Kristen's story for inspiration.

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