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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 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 (NHSC) works with educational institutions, students, |
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professional organizations, clinicians, and underserved |
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communities around the nation to deliver primary health care, |
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including dental, mental, and behavioral health care, by developing |
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innovative solutions to improve recruitment, preparation, and |
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retention of health professionals; and |
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WHEREAS, The NHSC Ambassador Program seeks to accomplish |
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these goals by engaging university- and community-based volunteers |
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to link students and clinicians with employment opportunities in |
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underserved communities that match their career interests, to |
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prepare and train students and clinicians to work in health |
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professional shortage areas by connecting them to clinical |
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rotations, and to mentor students and clinicians with one-on-one |
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counseling to maintain interest and commitment to serving the |
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underserved; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the Texas Primary Care Office is the Texas |
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liaison with the NHSC, currently there is no formal connection |
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between the office and the NHSC Ambassador Program; clearly, the |
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state would benefit from a coordination of effort between the |
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program and the primary care office, bringing much-needed |
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additional resources to the areas of Texas that remain underserved |
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by health care professionals; now, 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 Services 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 s |
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tate 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 Services Corps, |
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and the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health |
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Services. |