MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Public Health and Human Services
By: Representative Mims
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 41-123-1, 41-123-3, 41-123-5 AND 41-123-7 AND 41-123-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO TRANSFER THE OFFICE OF MISSISSIPPI PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 41-123-11 AND 41-123-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 41-123-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
41-123-1. There is
established the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce within the * * *
State Department of Health for the purpose of overseeing the physician
workforce development and needs, both in numbers and distribution, of the State
of Mississippi. The office shall have a director, who must be a
physician licensed in the State of Mississippi and who shall be appointed by
the State Health Officer. In addition, the office shall have a researcher to
assist the director in collecting and analyzing data concerning the physician
workforce needs of Mississippi and other necessary staff to assist in its
work. The office shall have the following duties, at a minimum:
(a) Assessing the current numbers, ages, types of practice, hospital affiliations, and geographic distribution of physicians in each medical specialty in Mississippi;
(b) Assessing the current and future physician workforce needs of the State of Mississippi;
(c) Assisting in the creation and/or support of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited GME training programs in the State of Mississippi based on needs analysis and criteria established by the office and the advisory board while maintaining a strong and continued priority focus on family medicine. This support may include the awarding of state financial assistance as available, for the creation or support of family medicine residencies and other GME programs approved by the advisory board;
(d) Encouraging the development of an adequate and geographically distributed physician workforce in all specialties for the State of Mississippi with an evolving strategic plan; and
(e) Providing an
annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, * * * and the Board of
Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning on the current status of the
physician workforce and training programs in Mississippi.
SECTION 2. Section 41-123-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
41-123-3. (1) The Office
of Mississippi Physician Workforce shall be administered by * * * the State Department of Health. An
advisory board shall be created to assist * * * the department in achieving the
purpose of this chapter to be known as the "Mississippi Physician
Workforce Advisory Board." The advisory board shall be composed of the
following members:
(a) * * *
Two (2) physicians appointed by and from the membership of the
Mississippi State Medical Association for a term of three (3) years. Any
member appointed under this paragraph may be reappointed for two (2) additional
terms.
( * * *b) Two (2) physicians appointed by and
from the membership of the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians for a term
of three (3) years. Any member appointed under this paragraph may be reappointed
for two (2) additional terms.
( * * *c) One (1) physician appointed by and
from the membership of each of the following organizations, whose terms shall
be for three (3) years and who may be reappointed for two (2) additional terms:
(i) Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association;
(ii) Mississippi Chapter, American College of Physicians;
(iii) Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics;
(iv) Mississippi Chapter, American College of OB-GYN; and
(v) Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association.
( * * *d) Two (2) physician designees of the
Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, who will serve at the
will and pleasure of the dean. One (1) of the members appointed under this
paragraph must be responsible for Graduate Medical Education at the University
of Mississippi School of Medicine.
( * * *e) The Chair of the Department of
Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.
( * * *f) A member of the State Board of
Medical Licensure, who will serve at the will and pleasure of that board.
( * * *g) One (1) physician designee of the Dean
of the William Carey School of Medicine, who will serve at the will and
pleasure of the dean.
( * * *h) One (1) representative of the
Mississippi Economic Council appointed by the president of the council, and who
will serve at the will and pleasure of the president.
( * * *i) One (1) representative of the
Mississippi Development Authority appointed by the executive director of the
authority, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the executive director.
( * * *j) One (1) representative of the
Mississippi Hospital Association, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the
association.
( * * *k) Two (2) representatives of the
Mississippi Primary Health Care Association, who will serve at the will and
pleasure of the association.
(2) Vacancies on the advisory board must be filled in a manner consistent with the original appointments.
(3) * * * The advisory board * * * shall establish rules
for transacting its business. A majority of the members of the advisory board
shall constitute a quorum at all advisory board meetings. An affirmative vote
of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the making
of recommendations by the advisory board. * * * The advisory
board shall elect a chair and vice chair from * * * among its members * * *. The chair shall serve for a term of two (2) years,
upon the expiration of which the vice chair shall assume the office of chair.
(4) * * * The advisory
board shall hold no less than two (2) meetings annually.
(5) The advisory board may form an executive committee for the purpose of transacting business that must be conducted before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the advisory board. All actions taken by the executive committee must be ratified by the advisory board at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
(6) Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the advisory board, as provided in Section 25-3-41.
(7) The advisory board
shall be housed at the * * * State Department of Health.
SECTION 3. Section 41-123-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
41-123-5. The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce shall have the following powers and duties, at a minimum:
(a)
Developing the administrative policy for the advisory board and the office * * *;
(b) Developing and implementing strategies and activities for the office and for the implementation of an evolving strategic plan to provide for the physician workforce needs of Mississippi. In developing these strategies, the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce and the advisory board shall seek the input of various organizations and entities including the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, the Mississippi Chapters of the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of OB-GYN, the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, and the Mississippi Osteopathic Medicine Association;
(c) Establishing a budget to support the activities of the office and periodically reviewing and if appropriate, revising, that budget to meet its mission; and
(d)
* * *
Reviewing the activities of the office
and guiding the office in accomplishing the strategic goal of providing
Mississippi's physician workforce needs.
SECTION 4. Section 41-123-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
41-123-7. (1) The advisory board shall recommend policies and procedures for the awarding of state funding that creates and/or provides sustaining support for the desired number of ACGME accredited Family Medicine residency programs and other valued and needed ACGME residencies approved by the advisory board that will accept both M.D. and D.O. students.
(2) * * * Office of Mississippi Physician
Workforce, with the input of the advisory board, shall have
the authority to award financial support, from funds specifically appropriated
for that purpose by the Legislature, of up to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00)
to any hospital or entity with demonstrated
commitment and resources, as determined by * * * office, with input from the
advisory board, to establish and operate an ACGME accredited Family
Medicine residency program or other GME program qualifying under subsection (1)
of this section. The funds will be dispersed at the determination of * * * office, with input from the
advisory board, and may include start-up funding and/or provide sustaining support
for residency programs.
(3)
Each applicant for state financial support for creation of an ACGME residency
program as authorized under this section must submit an application to * * * the office * * * that
conforms to requirements established by this chapter and by * * * the office, with input from the
advisory board.
(4)
In selecting recipients for state financial support authorized under this
section, following criteria and recommendations from the advisory board, * * * the office may use its discretion
to award funding based on demographic needs and the future success of the
residency program.
(5) An applicant for state
financial support for creation of an ACGME accredited residency program may
receive funding only upon approval of * * * office, with input from the
advisory board.
SECTION 5. Section 41-123-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
41-123-9. (1) Hospitals, other entities and/or residency programs must adhere to the policies and practices as stipulated by the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce to continue receiving state financial support under this chapter.
(2) Hospitals, other
entities and/or residency programs may receive state financial support that may
be provided by the office * * * of Mississippi Physician Workforce pursuant to this chapter.
Any financial support awarded by the office * * * must be
used for only the creation of a residency or for residency operational
expenses, or the recipient will be liable for repayment of any financial support
received under this chapter.
SECTION 6. Section 41-123-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
41-123-11. Any residency program established with state financial support must at a minimum be capable of accepting students from both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools that are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
SECTION 7. Section 41-123-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
41-123-13. Funding for the operation of the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce and the Mississippi Physician Workforce Advisory Board, including the salary of the director of the office and all necessary staff, shall be paid from funds specifically appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.
SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.