Report: Grim Future For U.S. Docs; Outlook Brighter In California

A national report released last week paints a grim picture of the future of practicing medicine in the U.S., but the sentiment is not universally echoed in California.

The white paper from The Physicians Foundation identifies many threats to the viability of U.S. medical practices and makes a number of policy recommendations to address them.

With comments about "dire challenges" and eroding physician morale, the authors of "The Future of Medical Practice: Creating Options for Practicing Physicians to Control Their Professional Destiny" say the problems physicians face have broad implications for the entire health care system.

In California, however, the outlook is not so dark.