JCHC-Continue Study of Health Workforce (language only)

Item 11 #3h

Language
Page 10, strike lines 31 through 42.
Page 10, after line 30, insert:
"The Joint Commission on Health Care shall continue its study of the various health workforce programs and initiatives related to improving access to care in underserved areas.  The Joint Commission’s continuing work shall: (i) assess the impact of the programmatic and administrative changes enacted by the 2000 General Assembly on the various workforce programs; (ii) recommend any further improvements to the existing programs and identify additional cost-effective initiatives; and (iii) assess the need for and feasibility of establishing a pharmacist scholarship and loan repayment program for pharmacists who agree to practice in underserved areas of the Commonwealth.  The Joint Commission shall conduct its review in cooperation with the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee.  The Joint Commission shall also consult with and involve the Department of Health and the affected workforce programs and initiatives in its review activities."
Page 11, strike lines 1 through 21.
Budget  “The Joint Commission on Health Care shall continue its study of the various health workforce programs and initiatives related to improving access to care in underserved areas.  The Joint Commission’s continuing work shall: (i) assess the impact of the programmatic and administrative changes enacted by the 2000 General Assembly on the various workforce programs; (ii) recommend any further improvements to the existing programs and identify additional cost-effective initiatives; and (iii) assess the need for and feasibility of establishing a pharmacist scholarship and loan repayment program for pharmacists who agree to practice in underserved areas of the Commonwealth.  The Joint Commission shall conduct its review in cooperation with the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.  The Joint Commission also shall consult with and involve the Department of Health and the affected workforce programs and initiatives in its review activities.”

Explanation
(This amendment removes language in the introduced budget directing the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) to study various aspects of the Commonwealth’s health workforce programs for improving access to care in underserved areas, because most of the issues listed have been completed by the JCHC. New language is added to refocus the study of health workforce issues in 2000.)