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.

                                                                      Delisi

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.C.R. No. 64 was adopted by the House on

         April 3, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.C.R. No. 64 was adopted by the Senate on May

         15, 1997, by a viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor