House Engrossed

 

graduate medical education; residency programs

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

2023

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL 2753

 

 

 

An Act

 

amending section 15-1643, Arizona Revised Statutes; appropriating monies; relating to health education.

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-1643, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-1643. Arizona area health education system; centers; governing boards; duties; report; primary care residency programs; definitions

A. The Arizona board of regents shall establish the Arizona area health education system in the college of medicine of the university of Arizona. The board shall appoint a system director.

B. The system shall consist of six area health education centers administered by the director of the Arizona area health education system. Each center shall represent a geographic area with specified populations that the system determines currently lack services by the health care professions.  One center shall focus on the Indian health care delivery system.

C. The Arizona board of regents shall appoint a governing board for each center consisting of not fewer than ten people and not more than twenty people. Board membership shall consist of health care providers and consumers and shall reflect the ethnic representation of the center's geographic area. Each governing board shall make recommendations to the director regarding health professionals' educational needs, local program priorities and the allocation of system monies. Board members are not eligible to receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses.

D. Each center shall conduct:

1. Physician and other health professional education programs that consist of any of the following:

(a) An undergraduate clinical training program.

(b) A graduate program.

(c) Postgraduate continuing education.

2. Programs to recruit and retain minority students in health professions.

3. Continuing education programs for health professionals.

E. On or before May 1, 2024, the Arizona area health education system shall establish a program for qualifying community health centers, rural health clinics and tribal health facilities that does all of the following:

1. Supports and expands the number of primary care residency positions.

2. provides support and technical assistance for starting or expanding primary care residency programs in rural areas and health professional shortage areas.

3. Facilitates information and resource sharing and provides training and technical assistance, including preceptor training and development, continuing education, medical library access and other functions, to support the success of qualifying community health center, rural health clinic and tribal health facility primary care residency programs.

E. F. The director shall submit a written report on or before November 15 of each year to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives. The report shall contain the following:

1. The fiscal status of each center.

2. Information regarding center education, outreach and training programs.

3. Information regarding placement of health care personnel in areas the director determines are underserved by these professionals.

4. An assessment of system accomplishments.

5. Recommendations for possible legislative action.

F. G. The system shall provide expertise and administrative services to each center.

H. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Primary care" means family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, pediatric internal medicine, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics or general surgery.

2. "Tribal health facility" means an outpatient health facility that is operated by an Indian tribe and that is authorized to provide services pursuant to the Indian self-determination and education assistance act (P.L. 93-638; 88 Stat. 2203). END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Appropriation; Arizona area health education system; primary care residency programs; exemption; definition

A. The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated onetime from the state general fund in fiscal year 2023-2024 to the Arizona area health education system for the purposes of section 15-1643, subsection E, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.  The Arizona area health education system may use up to $500,000 of the appropriation to support a collaborative of qualifying community health centers', rural health clinics' and tribal health facilities primary care residency programs.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.

C. For the purposes of this section, "tribal health facility" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-1643, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act.

Sec. 3. Appropriations; Arizona health care cost containment system administration; primary care graduate medical education; exemption; definition

A. The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in each of fiscal years 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 to the Arizona health care cost containment system administration for the purposes of section 36-2907.06, subsection I, paragraph 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, for the direct and indirect costs of primary care graduate medical education at qualifying community health centers, rural health clinics and tribal health facilities.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.

C. For the purposes of this section, "tribal health facility" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-1643, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act.