Sponsored by:
Senator JENNIFER BECK
District 12 (Mercer and Monmouth)
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Gordon
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHSS to coordinate physician workforce data.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on December 6, 2010, with amendments.
An Act concerning physicians, and supplementing Titles 26 and 45 of the Revised Statutes and Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Health and Senior Services shall coordinate with the Advisory Graduate Medical Education Council, the State Board of Medical Examiners, the Medical Society of New Jersey, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals in collecting and evaluating information to optimize the recruitment, retention, and distribution of physicians in the State.
b. The department, in consultation with the State Board of Medical Examiners, the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, and the Medical Society of New Jersey, shall develop a survey to be administered to physicians as a condition of their licensure and licensure renewal. The data to be collected shall include, but not be limited to: age; gender; race and ethnicity; foreign language proficiency; educational background; practice specialty 1and subspecialty1; time spent providing patient care; practice capacity; acceptance of Medicaid and other public health programs; plans to continue practicing; and use of computer technology.
c. The department, in consultation with the Advisory Graduate Medical Education Council, the State Board of Medical Examiners, the Medical Society of New Jersey, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, shall aggregate and analyze physician workforce data collected pursuant to this act, and monitor and forecast the supply and distribution of physicians in the State. The analysis shall identify factors that will aid in developing medical education programs to best meet physician workforce needs, and shall include, but not be limited to, analysis of: where the State’s medical school and residency graduates ultimately practice; where, when and why physicians enter and leave practice; geographic distribution of physicians, by specialty 1and subspecialty1; 1[and] age of practicing physicians 1; and the identification of health professional shortage areas in the State1.
d. The department shall issue a report each year following the year during which the physician surveys are administered to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), except that the report shall be in electronic form.
2. The State Board of Medical Examiners shall require each physician, as a condition of licensure, to complete the survey developed pursuant to section 2 of this act.
3. The Advisory Graduate Medical Education Council, in consultation with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, shall conduct annual exit surveys of the residents and fellows who complete training in programs in the State to determine how effective New Jersey is in retaining these graduates, and shall forward the survey results to the Department of Health and Senior Services.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.