H-973                _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1531

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Brooks, Bristow, Fuhrman, Sprenkle, Chandler, Morris, Vekich, McLean, D. Sommers, Holland, Hargrove, Prentice, Rayburn, Nealey, H. Myers and Spanel

Read first time 1/27/89 and referred to Committee on Health Care.

AN ACT Relating to a study of rural training opportunities for health professionals; adding a new section to chapter 28B.80 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that a shortage of physicians, nurses, and physician assistants exists in rural areas of the state.  In addition, many education programs to train these health care providers do not include options for practical training experience in rural settings.  As a result, many health care providers find their current training does not prepare them for the unique demands of rural practice.

          The legislature declares that the availability of rural training opportunities as a part of professional medical, nursing, and physician assistant education would provide needed practical experience, serve to attract providers to rural areas, and help address the current shortage of these providers in rural Washington.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.80 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The higher education coordinating board, in consultation with at least the state board for community college education and state-supported education programs in medicine and nursing, shall develop a plan for increasing rural training opportunities for students pursuing degrees in medicine and nursing at state-supported institutions of higher education.  The plan shall provide for direct exposure to rural health professional practice conditions for students planning careers in rural medicine and nursing.

          (2) The boards and the medical and nurse education programs shall:

          (a) Inventory existing rural-based clinical experience programs, including internships, clerkships, residencies, and other training opportunities available to students pursuing degrees in nursing and medicine;

          (b) Identify where training opportunities do not currently exist and are needed;

          (c) Develop recommendations for improving the availability of rural training opportunities;

          (d) Develop recommendations on establishing agreements between education programs to assure that all students in medical and nurse education programs in the state have access to rural training opportunities; and

          (e) Review private and public funding sources to finance rural-based training opportunities.

          (3) The higher education coordinating board shall report to the house of representatives and senate standing committees on health care by December 1, 1989, with their findings and recommendations including needed legislative changes.