Physician recruiting firm MedExcellence relocates to Springdale

Physician-recruiting company MedExcellence has moved its national headquarters to Springdale from Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: There's a nationwide shortage of physicians, and some Arkansans have reported waiting 3-4 months to see a primary-care doctor. The state had 215 active physicians per 100,000 people in 2021 — 46th in the nation.

• Out-of-state migration for specialty health care is projected to cost NWA $1.2 billion by 2030.

State of play: The office will be headed by managing partner Diana McDaniel, former VP of operations for Arkansas Children's Northwest and CEO of health care consultancy Prosper Med .

• McDaniel described physician recruitment as being similar to other industries: Representatives attend conferences and "network," she said, but with more of a high-touch or white-glove approach.

Though MedExcellence is about a decade old, McDaniel said part of the strategy to grow the company was to move to the center of the country, where there's a lot of opportunity.

What they're saying: "You can open up a physician practice here in a number of different specialties and be immediately busy because [right now] there's so many people leaving the area for care," McDaniel told Axios.

What we're watching: With the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine set to open next year and the daily inflow of people to NWA, we'll be looking to see if our physician per capita numbers increase in the next few years.