Brief Description: Requiring surveys of health professions work force supply and demographics.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Franklin, Regala, Keiser, Eide, Prentice, Rasmussen, Jacobsen, Fairley, McAuliffe, Fraser, Brown, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Parlette and Shin).

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
House Committee on Health Care
House Committee on Appropriations

Background: Persons of color experience disparities from the general population in education, employment, healthy living conditions, access to health care, and other social determinants of health.

Research has shown that increasing the number of people of color in the health care workforce and expanding the cultural competence of everyone who works in health care can reduce health disparities.

For quite some time, communities of color have been voicing concerns about health disparities. Out of these concerns and policy makers' sensitivity to the issue, Senate Concurrent Resolution 8419 was introduced and passed by the Legislature in 2004 creating the Joint Select Committee on Health Disparities.

The committee issued a report on health disparities in Washington on November 1, 2005. The report included findings and recommendations to be considered by the Legislature. The committee identified the need to develop a workforce that is representative of the diversity of our state's population. Prior to developing such a work force, relevant and accurate data on health care professionals, students in health care professions, and recipients of health services must first be collected.

Among the committee's recommendations is a request that the Department of Health work with the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board to develop a survey to collect relevant workforce data. The board has 11 members and works in conjunction with labor, business, and government leaders to develop strategies for a well trained, highly paid work force.

Summary: Every two years the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board, must distribute a voluntary survey to licensed health care providers.

The Department of Health is required to seek advice from researchers likely to use the data when developing the survey. At a minimum, the survey collects data related to age, gender, race, ethnicity, area of practice, zip code of practice location, years in practice, and type of facility where a provider practices.

The Department of Health is required to report on the effectiveness of the survey program by July 1, 2009. The act expires January 1, 2012.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      43   2
House      75   23   (House amended)
Senate      47   1   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   June 7, 2006
         July 1, 2006 (Section 1)