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. 1-59 * * * * *