1-1     By:  Delisi (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)              H.C.R. No. 64

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 4, 1997;

 1-3     April 8, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Education; May 8, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 8, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                         HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-7           WHEREAS, A healthy population ensures a productive society

 1-8     and is vital to the economic growth of the state; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, With the advent of managed care, the health

1-10     infrastructure is experiencing a system-wide shift in health care

1-11     financing and delivery in Texas; and

1-12           WHEREAS, Addressing Texas' health problems successfully and

1-13     sustaining the prior rate of progress in improving the population's

1-14     health require collaborative efforts that build upon the experience

1-15     and expertise of all health professions; and

1-16           WHEREAS, There is a need to pursue new insights and

1-17     innovative solutions to health problems and a new paradigm for the

1-18     delivery of health care must be forged, in which all health care

1-19     providers view themselves as coworkers along a continuum from

1-20     individual patient care to population-based intervention; and

1-21           WHEREAS, Because it is important that health professionals

1-22     have the most innovative and up-to-date training when making

1-23     decisions that affect the health of individuals and communities,

1-24     the education of the health care workforce in this state is crucial

1-25     to all Texans; now, therefore, be it

1-26           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-27     hereby direct the University of Texas health science centers, the

1-28     Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the Texas A&M

1-29     University Medical Program, the University of North Texas Health

1-30     Science Center at Fort Worth, the Baylor College of Medicine, The

1-31     University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, and the

1-32     Texas A&M University School of Rural Public Health to:

1-33                 (1)  encourage their students to become partners in the

1-34     health of individual Texans and Texas communities;

1-35                 (2)  pursue and develop interdisciplinary curricula and

1-36     interdisciplinary approaches to health care;

1-37                 (3)  address long-term improvements in the health

1-38     safety net of Texas;

1-39                 (4)  pursue and develop technology that supports

1-40     training opportunities for health professionals across Texas;

1-41                 (5)  encourage more graduate and undergraduate medical

1-42     education opportunities in community-based programs that

1-43     incorporate a focus on public health; and

1-44                 (6)  pursue methods to ensure that all public health

1-45     students obtain practical experience outside of the classroom; and,

1-46     be it further

1-47           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-48     direct the Texas Department of Health, with the cooperation of the

1-49     aforementioned schools, to study the initiation of pilot programs

1-50     that would create public health fellowships for practicing

1-51     physicians; and, be it further

1-52           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

1-53     copy of this resolution to the chancellor of The University of

1-54     Texas System, the chancellor of Texas Tech University, the

1-55     chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, the chancellor of

1-56     the University of North Texas, the chancellor of Baylor College of

1-57     Medicine, and the commissioner of health of the Texas Department of

1-58     Health.

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