JANESVILLE, Wis. -- There is growing concern among Wisconsin's health care community that the state is running short on doctors.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association said doctor shortages have reached unprecedented levels. Currently, there are 320 openings statewide and roughly 30 percent of physicians are nearing retirement.

Medical experts said that the problem will only worsen because the state has removed its cap on medical malpractice lawsuits. Last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down existing medical malpractice limits and Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed new limits put forward by lawmakers.

Many doctors say that's a tough pill to swallow, WISC-TV reported.

Dr. Ofer Zikel, a neurosurgeon at Mercy Health System, began his practice in Illinois, but his concerns about medical malpractice drove him away from the state.

"It was reaching a point where it was difficult to see patients as patients. Everyone was a potential litigant. Everyone was a potential lawsuit," Zikel said.

He said that he came to Wisconsin because of the state's reputation for protecting physicians. The recent removal of Wisconsin's cap on malpractice lawsuits changes the picture, Zikel said.

"It's only a matter of time now until that catches up with the legal system, and the physicians start running from this state as well," Zikel said.

Despite physicians' contentions, some attorneys argue that malpractice cases aren't the problem. They said that they are rare because they're extremely difficult to win, WISC-TV reported.

Attorney Scott Schroeder said that the physician shortage existed since 2003, while the cap was still in place.

"We're now looking at two, threes years post time that the physician shortage started," Schroeder said.

Becky Trujillo, a recruiter at Mercy Health System, said that the recent economic climate has rapidly changed doctors' preferences.

"They want their family, they want their quality of life, and they don't want the long call hours. And it has changed the way we look at and run medicine," said Trujillo said.

Experts believe the question will ultimately be resolved at the state Capitol.

For now, Zikel said that he and other doctors hope the issues won't get in the way with what's most important.

"(It) used to be that the doctor's lounge was a place where people go and discuss day-to-day things," Zikel said. "Now, some people avoid the doctor's lounge because now it's a place where they go to complain about their day-to-day hassles … of doing what they love to do, of being a doctor."

Area hospitals said that it can be especially challenging to fill specialty positions and those in rural offices.

Two Madison-area medical groups responsible for hiring doctors said that the process is often a challenge. Dean Health Systems said that they currently have 50 physician vacancies, which they said was about average, but that hiring for specialty positions and in their rural offices is more difficult, WISC-TV reported.

Likewise, the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation said that it's constantly recruiting physicians and employs more than 900 doctors, and hiring for smaller areas like Wausau, Appleton and Baraboo are also challenges.