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CNN Live Today

Rural Clinics May Face Shortage Due to September 11

Aired June 03, 2002 - 12:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A government program meant to fill a doctor shortage in rural areas with doctors from abroad is now in jeopardy. The reason? Tighter restrictions in the aftermath of September 11.

CNN's Rusty Dornin explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Long hours for low pay, something farm workers often share with their doctors in rural clinics like this one in Merced, California.

Born in the Philippines, Dr. Edita Soriano came here thanks to a special waiver program. It's called a J-1 visa waiver. It lets foreign-born doctors avoid the rules that would normally require them to go home. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to cancel the waiver in the wake of 9/11. Soriano won't be affected, but it could affect rural clinics across the country.

(on camera): What will happen if the waivers are cut off for clinics like this?

DAVID CAMPAL: We would lose a very important pool of qualified physicians to come to rural areas that are very hard to recruit physicians to.

DORNIN (voice-over): Most U.S.-born physicians don't want to work in places like this.

(on camera): Why is it so difficult to get doctors to come to these rural clinics?

DR. EDITA SORIANO, PHYSICIAN: It is really so hard for rural clinics to attract doctors, because we don't have much to offer. The salaries are not as high.

DORNIN (voice-over): Even patients here know the problem.

SHIAN STOCKHAM, RURAL CLINIC PATIENT: They shouldn't have them be taken away. It's not fair. We already -- it's already hard enough that we don't have enough doctors as it is.

SORIANO: I'm just going to check the... DORNIN: Hard enough that Congress and the White House are pressuring the Department of Agriculture to come up with some alternatives. Meanwhile, Soriano says she plans to stay here to help the needy.

SORIANO: I love my job. And I love the patients that I serve here in this clinic. It's where my heart is.

DORNIN: Sentiments that rural clinics could use a lot more of, no matter where the doctors are from.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Merced, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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