By Delisi H.C.R. No. 64 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, A healthy population ensures a productive society 1-2 and is vital to the economic growth of the state; and 1-3 WHEREAS, With the advent of managed care, the health 1-4 infrastructure is experiencing a system-wide shift in health care 1-5 financing and delivery in Texas; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Addressing Texas' health problems successfully and 1-7 sustaining the prior rate of progress in improving the population's 1-8 health require collaborative efforts that build upon the experience 1-9 and expertise of all health professions; and 1-10 WHEREAS, There is a need to pursue new insights and 1-11 innovative solutions to health problems and a new paradigm for the 1-12 delivery of health care must be forged, in which all health care 1-13 providers view themselves as coworkers along a continuum from 1-14 individual patient care to population-based intervention; and 1-15 WHEREAS, Because it is important that health professionals 1-16 have the most innovative and up-to-date training when making 1-17 decisions that affect the health of individuals and communities, 1-18 the education of the health care workforce in this state is crucial 1-19 to all Texans; now, therefore, be it 1-20 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-21 hereby direct the University of Texas health science centers, the 1-22 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the Texas A&M 1-23 University Medical Program, the University of North Texas Health 1-24 Science Center at Fort Worth, the Baylor College of Medicine, The 2-1 University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, and the 2-2 Texas A&M University School of Rural Public Health to: 2-3 (1) encourage their students to become partners in the 2-4 health of individual Texans and Texas communities; 2-5 (2) pursue and develop interdisciplinary curricula and 2-6 interdisciplinary approaches to health care; 2-7 (3) address long-term improvements in the health 2-8 safety net of Texas; 2-9 (4) pursue and develop technology that supports 2-10 training opportunities for health professionals across Texas; 2-11 (5) encourage more graduate and undergraduate medical 2-12 education opportunities in community-based programs that 2-13 incorporate a focus on public health; and 2-14 (6) pursue methods to ensure that all public health 2-15 students obtain practical experience outside of the classroom; and, 2-16 be it further 2-17 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-18 direct the Texas Department of Health, with the cooperation of the 2-19 aforementioned schools, to study the initiation of pilot programs 2-20 that would create public health fellowships for practicing 2-21 physicians; and, be it further 2-22 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 2-23 copy of this resolution to the chancellor of The University of 2-24 Texas System, the chancellor of Texas Tech University, the 2-25 chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, the chancellor of 2-26 the University of North Texas, the chancellor of Baylor College of 2-27 Medicine, and the commissioner of health of the Texas Department of 3-1 Health.