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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, As the largest of the 48 contiguous states and |
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ranking second only to California in terms of population, the State |
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of Texas faces unique challenges to providing adequate access to |
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primary health care for its residents; and |
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WHEREAS, As of September of 2006, 113 Texas counties, home to |
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more than 3 million Texans, were designated as primary care health |
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professional shortage areas by the United States Department of |
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Health and Human Services; under related federal standards, an even |
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larger portion of the state qualifies as medically underserved, |
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with 177 entire Texas counties and parts of 47 other counties |
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receiving that designation; and |
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WHEREAS, Working through a cooperative agreement with the |
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federal Health Resources and Services Administration, the Texas |
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Primary Care Office has as its mission the improvement of access to |
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medical, dental, and mental health care services for the state's |
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underserved populations by recruiting and retaining primary care |
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providers to practice in federally designated shortage areas; and |
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WHEREAS, Similarly, the federal National Health Service |
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Corps works with educational institutions, students, professional |
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organizations, clinicians, and underserved communities around the |
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nation to deliver primary health care, including dental, mental, |
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and behavioral health care, by developing innovative solutions to |
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improve recruitment, preparation, and retention of health |
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professionals; and |
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WHEREAS, The National Health Service Corps Ambassador |
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Program seeks to accomplish these goals by engaging university- and |
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community-based volunteers to link students and clinicians with |
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employment opportunities in underserved communities that match |
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their career interests, to prepare and train students and |
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clinicians to work in health professional shortage areas by |
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connecting them to clinical rotations, and to mentor students and |
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clinicians with one-on-one counseling to maintain interest and |
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commitment to serving the underserved; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the Texas Primary Care Office is the Texas |
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liaison with the National Health Service Corps, currently there is |
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no formal connection between the office and the National Health |
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Service Corps Ambassador Program; clearly, the state would benefit |
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from a coordination of effort between the program and the primary |
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care office, bringing much-needed additional resources to the areas |
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of Texas that remain underserved by health care professionals; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby encourage the National Health Service Corps Ambassador |
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Program to coordinate with the Primary Care Office at the Texas |
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Department of State Health Services; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an |
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official copy of this resolution to the secretary of the United |
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States Department of Health and Human Services, the chair of the |
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National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps, and |
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the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. |