Lawmakers hear residency expansion requests as Idaho funds part of graduate medical education

Legislators on the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Monday reviewed requests to expand graduate medical education across Idaho, including psychiatry slots in eastern Idaho and additional family and internal medicine positions statewide. Department analysts and residency directors said state support for residency slots is a key strategy to increase the number of physicians practicing in Idaho.

Why it matters: Idaho has fewer physicians per capita than most states. Residency positions are widely seen by program leaders and analysts as a crucial retention point: physicians who train in the state are more likely to remain and practice here. Several programs asked for incremental funding to add residents and complete multi‑year residency cohorts.

Legislative analysts from the Legislative Services Office summarized the request and noted the funding model used in Idaho: most residency programs operate as three‑way partnerships among sponsoring institutions (hospitals or universities), health systems, and the state. Kevin Campbell, presenting the budget overview, said the annual cost per resident is currently presented at a minimum of about $210,000 and…