Opportunity Newark - Initiative for a Competitive Inner City

the state take steps to make New Jersey an attractive location
for practitioners.
Newark’s efforts to attract physicians will complement state
programs and could feature an incentive package that will
attract physicians to the city. Possible incentives include
tax abatement on real estate investments, student loan
forgiveness, and medical malpractice subsidies. Currently,
New Jersey’s Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Premium
Assistance Fund (MMLIPA) provides relief to certain
specialists (obstetricians/gynecologists, neurosurgeons,
and diagnostic radiologists) facing high malpractice insurance
premiums and substantial student loan payments. The
MMLIPA plans to distribute $17 million annually for premium
relief and to spend $1 million annually on a student loan
expense reimbursement program for obstetricians/gynecologists
who commit to practicing in medically underserved
areas. 80 Once an incentive structure is in place, the city
can market the incentive package to Newark-based medical
school students, residents and interns, making clear the
benefits of practicing locally. With a multitude of universities,
Newark offers physicians academic affiliations as well
as teaching and research opportunities. City officials can
also promote the benefits of working in a clinic setting,
where physicians can practice unburdened by the administrative
aspects of running a private practice. Many clinics
also fully reimburse their physicians’ medical malpractice
insurance costs. 81
Measures of Success
The success of these initiatives will be measured using the
following metrics:
• Increases in health care training program enrollment;
• Number of incumbent workers trained;
• Increases in the retention rates of program participants;
• Percentage of program participants who achieve higher
pay grades;
• Reductions in recruitment and training costs for health
sector employers;
• Increased use of primary care and reduced reliance on
emergency care; and,
• An increase in the number of private practice physicians
in Newark.
80 New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Subsidy Payments Are in the Mail. 10/25/05; and New
Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Analysis of the New Jersey Budget, Fiscal Year 2005-2006.
81 Interview with Dr. Lauren Smith, M.D., M.P.H. Medical Director, Family Advocacy Program at Boston Medical Center; Medical Director of the
Pediatric Inpatient Unit at Boston Medical Center; and Associate Professor at Boston University Medical School. 2/3/06.
OpportunityNewark: Jobs and Community Development for the 21st Century 44