My doctor just left the area, and thankfully, I've been a patient with this practice for 30 years, so they have me seeing other doctors or the LPN, otherwise, I've been told an eight-month wait with priority to existing patients like me. Some practices are no longer taking new patients at all because of the lack of staffing. When we moved my mom closer to me (Alzheimer's) only one practice of the ten I called would put her on the waitlist.