BySenate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Saldaña, Hasegawa, Randall, Nguyen, Wilson, C., Keiser, Das, Cleveland, and Dhingra)

AN ACT Relating to the integration of international medical graduates into Washington's health care delivery system; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that a shortage of primary care health care providers has created significant provider access issues in Washington.

(2) The legislature further finds that international medical graduates residing in the state could provide increased access to primary care for state residents, but international medical graduates routinely face barriers to practice.

(3) Therefore, the legislature intends to establish the international medical graduate work group to study barriers to practice and make recommendations on how the state can implement an international medical graduate assistance program by January 1, 2022, to assist international medical graduates in integrating into the Washington health care delivery system.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the international medical graduate work group is established. The work group membership must consist of the following members appointed by the governor:

(b) A representative from the department of health, health systems quality assurance division;

(d) A representative from the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd college of medicine graduate medical education program;

(e) A representative from the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences college of osteopathic medicine graduate medical education program;

(f) A representative from a statewide association representing physicians;

(g) A representative from the Washington state family medicine residency network;

(h) A representative from a primary care health care employer in a rural or underserved area of Washington;

(i) A representative from a health carrier offering coverage in a rural or underserved area of Washington;

(j) A licensed physician with experience working with international medical graduates;

(k) A representative from an organization specializing in refugee advocacy in Washington;

(l) A representative from an organization serving refugee physicians and international medical graduates;

(m) A representative from an organization offering counseling and educational programs to internationally trained health professionals;

(n) A representative from an organization representing community and migrant health centers; and

(a) Develop strategies and recommendations for reducing barriers for international medical graduates obtaining residency positions in Washington, including preresidency training;

(b) Make recommendations for the appropriate number of residency positions to be designated for international medical graduates, and the locations and specialties of those positions; and

(c) Make recommendations on the postresidency service requirements for international medical graduates who graduate from a designated residency position.

(3) Staff support for the work group must be provided by the medical quality assurance commission.

(4) The work group must submit a report to the governor and the legislature with its recommendations by June 30, 2020.