79R5556 MCK-D

By:  Madla                                                        S.B. No. 1001



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the provision of health care in medically underserved 
communities.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  (a)  In this Act, "medically underserved 
community" means a community that:
		(1)  is located in a county with a population of 50,000 
or less;            
		(2)  has been designated under state or federal law as a 
health professional shortage area; or
		(3)  has been designated as a medically underserved 
community by the Department of State Health Services.
	(b)  The Statewide Health Coordinating Council in 
conjunction with Area Health Education Centers shall study the 
health care delivery system in five geographically diverse 
medically underserved communities of the state who request to be 
part of the study.  At least one of the communities should be an 
urban area.  As part of the study the department shall:
		(1)  identify the ways in which non-physician health 
care providers are being used to supplement the provision of health 
care services in medically underserved communities;
		(2)  determine which medically underserved communities 
of the state have been successful and unsuccessful in recruiting 
and retaining physicians to practice in the community;
		(3)  identify the non-physician health care providers 
who could, within the scope of the health care providers' license, 
certification, or registration, supplement the provision of health 
care services in medically underserved communities;
		(4)  examine whether alternative supervision of 
non-physician health care providers or delivery of services by 
non-physician health care providers in nontraditional settings 
would provide a benefit in the delivery of health care services in 
medically underserved communities;
		(5)  examine whether each community is medically 
underserved as a result of a shortage of providers, a shortage of 
appropriate health care facilities, or both; and
		(6)  evaluate the measures each medically underserved 
community has taken to resolve the health professional shortage in 
the community, determine whether those measures have been 
successful in reducing the shortage, and identify innovative 
solutions that should be replicated.
	(c)  In performing the study under Subsection (b) of this 
section, the Department of State Health Services shall consult with 
a variety of the health care practitioners in medically underserved 
communities, including emergency medical service providers, 
physicians, rural hospitals, rural health clinics, and family 
planning clinics.
	(d)  The department shall seek the participation of, and 
consult with, representatives of each medically underserved 
community in the study to develop ways the community can improve the 
delivery of health care services.
	(e)  Not later than January 1, 2007, the Department of State 
Health Services shall report the results of the study conducted 
under this section in writing to the lieutenant governor, the 
speaker of the house of representatives, and the members and 
members-elect of the 80th Legislature.  The report must include any 
proposed legislation the department, through this study, 
determines will facilitate the improvement of the delivery of 
health care in medically underserved communities.
	(f)  This Act expires September 1, 2007.                                       
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.