SB 5502-S.E - DIGEST
(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Finds that there is a critical shortage of primary care physicians in the state especially in rural areas.

Declares an intent to create incentives for medical school students to choose primary care practice for their medical careers.

Establishes the primary care physician conditional tuition waiver program to be administered by the University of Washington.

Requires the University of Washington to provide medical school students with information about the growth of patient and family-centered primary care medical homes throughout the state as a desirable and important strategy to improve quality of care.

Requires the University of Washington family medicine residency network to make every reasonable effort to work with community physicians to establish additional accredited new sites in underserved Washington to train primary care professionals, including physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics.

Expires July 1, 2019.