HB 211

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the area health education center
3	network; amending s. 381.0402, F.S.; requiring the
4	Department of Health to cooperate with specified medical
5	schools in maintaining and evaluating the network;
6	expanding the purposes of the network; requiring the
7	department to contract with the medical schools to provide
8	funds to the network; providing that the persons to be
9	served by the network are "medically underserved
10	populations" rather than "low-income persons"; requiring
11	that the network link the provision of primary care
12	services to medically underserved populations with the
13	education of medical students, interns, and residents,
14	students in the health care professions, and health care
15	providers serving medically underserved populations;
16	amending s. 381.0405, F.S.; providing that the Office of
17	Rural Health assume responsibility for state coordination
18	of federal rural hospital and rural health care grant
19	programs; deleting obsolete provisions; creating s.
20	381.0409, F.S.; authorizing the department to coordinate
21	with the Federal Government in carrying out certain
22	activities relating to the recruitment and placement of
23	health practitioners in medically underserved areas;
24	providing an effective date.
25
26	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28	Section 1.  Section 381.0402, Florida Statutes, is amended
29	to read:
30	381.0402  Area health education center network.--The
31	department, in cooperation with the state-approved medical
32	schools located in this state which form the area health
33	education center network in this state, shall maintain and
34	evaluate organize an area health education center network
35	focused based on earlier medically indigent demonstration
36	projects and shall evaluate the impact of each network on
37	improving access to health services by persons who are medically
38	underserved. The network shall serve as be a catalyst for the
39	primary care training of health professionals by increasing
40	through increased opportunities for training in medically
41	underserved areas, increasing access to primary care services,
42	providing health workforce recruitment, enhancing the quality of
43	health care, and addressing current and emerging public health
44	issues.
45	(1)  The department shall contract with the medical schools
46	to assist in funding the an area health education center
47	network, which links the provision of primary care services to
48	medically underserved populations low-income persons with the
49	education of:
50	(a)  Medical students, interns, and residents. The network
51	shall:
52	(a)  Be coordinated with and under contract with the state-
53	approved medical schools, which shall be responsible for the
54	clinical training and supervision.
55	1.(b)  Divide the state into service areas within the
56	network for with each state-approved medical school coordinating
57	the recruitment recruiting, training, and retention of medical
58	students within its assigned area.
59	(c)  Use a multidisciplinary approach with appropriate
60	medical supervision.
61	2.(d)  Use current community resources, such as county
62	health departments, federally funded community or migrant health
63	primary care centers, and or other primary health care
64	providers, as community-based sites for training medical
65	students, interns, and residents.
66	3.  Use a multidisciplinary approach with appropriate
67	medical supervision.
68	(b)  Students in the health care professions. The network
69	shall:
70	1.  Facilitate the recruitment, training, and retention of
71	students in the health care professions within service areas.
72	2.  Use community resources, such as county health
73	departments, federally funded community or migrant health
74	centers, and other primary health care providers, as sites for
75	training students in the health care professions.
76	3.  Use a multidisciplinary approach with appropriate
77	medical supervision.
78	(c)  Health care providers serving medically underserved
79	populations. The network shall:
80	1.  Assist providers in medically underserved areas and
81	other safety net providers in remaining current in their fields
82	through a variety of community resource initiatives.
83	2.  Strengthen the health care safety net in this state by
84	enhancing services and increasing access to care in medically
85	underserved areas.
86	3.  Provide other services, such as library and information
87	resources, continuing professional education, technical
88	assistance, and other support services, for providers who serve
89	in medically underserved areas.
90	(2)  The department shall establish criteria and procedures
91	for quality assurance, performance evaluations, periodic audits,
92	and other appropriate safeguards for the network.
93	(3)  The department shall make every effort to assure that
94	the network does participating medical schools do not
95	discriminate among enrollees with respect to age, race, sex, or
96	health status. However, the network such schools may target
97	high-risk medically needy population groups.
98	(4)  The department may use no more than 5 percent of the
99	annual appropriation for administering and evaluating the
100	network.
101	Section 2.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (4) of section
102	381.0405, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
103	381.0405  Office of Rural Health.--
104	(4)  COORDINATION.--The office shall:
105	(f)  Assume responsibility for state coordination of the
106	Rural Hospital Transition Grant Program, the Essential Access
107	Community Hospital Program, and other federal rural hospital and
108	rural health care grant programs.
109	Section 3.  Section 381.0409, Florida Statutes, is created
110	to read:
111	381.0409  Coordination with federal health professional
112	recruitment and placement programs.--The department may
113	coordinate with the Federal Government to designate health
114	professional shortage areas and medically underserved areas, to
115	recommend foreign physicians for visa waivers, to document
116	health professionals working in the public interest, and to
117	place health care professionals in medically underserved areas
118	using federally funded recruitment incentive programs.
119	Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.