Mercy to Launch $111M Residency Program Amid Looming Physician Shortage

Event summary

  • Mercy will launch a graduate medical education (GME) program in Springfield, Missouri, in summer 2027, with 160 residency and fellowship positions by 2032.
  • The program will start with 75 internal medicine residency slots within five years.
  • An economic impact study estimates the program will sustain 635 jobs and generate $111 million in economic output in Greene County over seven years.
  • Mercy aims to address a projected U.S. physician shortage of 140,000 by 2038 and retain trained doctors in southwest Missouri.

The big picture

Mercy's new GME program addresses a critical gap in the healthcare workforce pipeline, as the U.S. faces a projected shortage of 140,000 physicians by 2038. The program leverages the tendency of doctors to practice where they complete their residency, aiming to retain trained physicians in southwest Missouri. This initiative aligns with broader industry trends of healthcare systems investing in education to secure future workforce stability.

What we're watching

Retention Rates
Whether Mercy can successfully retain trained physicians in Springfield, given that Missouri currently loses about one-third of its medical residents to other states.
Funding Dynamics
How Mercy will navigate the Medicare-funding cap on residency positions, which has contributed to the national physician shortage.
Program Expansion
The pace at which Mercy will expand its GME program beyond internal medicine, given its successful history of launching similar programs in other locations.