A clinic uses doctors and nurse practitioners optimally and is servicing the maximum number of patients given a limited annual payroll. The last doctor hired treated $1200$ extra patients in a year, while the last nurse practitioner hired treated $600$ extra patients in a year. If doctors make $$140,000$ per year and nurse practitioners make $$50,000$ per year, then for the limited annual payroll,

Multiple Choice

the clinic cannot make the optimal decision because the additional patients per dollar spent on doctors is greater than the additional patients per dollar spent on nurse practitioners.

the clinic could serve more patients by hiring more doctors and more nurse practitioners.

the clinic could serve more patients by hiring fewer doctors and more nurse practitioners.

the clinic could serve more patients by hiring more doctors and fewer nurse practitioners.