HEALTHCARE MECCA Tom Evans | Contributing Editor If you know someone who has lived here a long time, chances are they have some story about how they or a family member moved here “for their health.” I’ve heard a million yarns about how Grandma Sadie moved to Sun City to help her cough, or Uncle Jake moved here to ease his arthritis, or something along those lines. You hear less of that these days. Perhaps, at one point, the medical value of living in the desert was a tad overstated. But we Arizonans still find ourselves 7 million strong and growing every day. Today we find ourselves with two directly divergent factors in play when it comes to healthcare. First, Arizona happens to be home to some of the finest medical facilities in the world, with more coming online all the time. Arizona’s Path to Becoming a NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve} 28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | OCTOBER 2018

But second, we find ourselves with a significant shortage of doctors, nurses and medical professionals to serve our needs. A study by the Robert Graham Center, which tracked the number of medical professionals needed to serve the state’s population, found that Arizona may require as many as 1,900 new doctors to serve the state’s needs by 2030. “We are seeing a critical mass in healthcare right now and we anticipate that this activity will continue,” said Chris Camacho, president & CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “As we compare the region to other markets, since 2001 Greater Phoenix’s healthcare employment has grown 84 percent, compared to 34 percent nationally.” Fortunately, Phoenix has some things going for it when you compare it to other markets. “For physicians and advanced practitioners, quality of life attracts those physicians so essential to the business plan,” said Joe Lupica, chairman of Newpoint Healthcare Advisors, which provides consulting services to hospitals and health systems nationwide. “It is likely that physicians will choose to live in a resort town that is also a real city, where a professional can build a real career.” There’s more than just population growth at play here — America’s population as a whole is aging, thanks to the Baby Boomer generation reaching their retirement years. This older population will require more healthcare over time, exacerbating the need for more healthcare professionals and expanded facilities. “Just think about the growth profile of metro Phoenix,” Lupica said. “Those demographic trends — population, age cohorts, projected healthcare use rates, and Rendering of the planned Mayo Clinic expansion in Phoenix. OCTOBER 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 29