A1006

An Act concerning the Advisory Graduate Medical Education Council of New Jersey and amending P.L.1977, c.390.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 2 of P.L.1977, c.390 (C.18A:64H-2) is amended to read as follows:

2. There is hereby established the Advisory Graduate Medical Education Council of New Jersey, which, beginning on the effective date of this act, shall be responsible to the [Commission on Higher Education] Department of Health. The purpose of this council shall be to make recommendations for the support, through federal, State and private funds, of graduate medical education programs in private nonprofit and public hospitals in the State, and to make recommendations for the development and implementation of new graduate medical education programs which will meet the needs of the citizens of the State. The council shall meet at least once annually. The functions of the council shall include, but not be limited to:

a. Obtaining and evaluating information concerning the graduate medical [manpower] workforce needs of the citizens of the State;

b. Recommending standards and criteria for participation by private nonprofit and public hospitals in the State;

c. Reviewing individual institutional applications and recommending awards of support to particular institutions based on conformance with the identified needs of the citizens of the State and the standards and criteria recommended by the council;

d. Annually reviewing the educational programs provided by participating hospitals;

e. Developing an informational guide of available funding for graduate medical education in the State to provide to legislators, policy-makers, and stakeholders three months prior to the start of a new fiscal year;

f. Working with federal stakeholders to maximize the use of federal programs such as the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Residency Planning and Development Program and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program;

g. Developing workforce and population health outcomes based on the Graduate Medical Education Subsidy and Supplemental Graduate Medical Education Subsidy of each upcoming annual appropriations act;

h. Developing metrics to measure whether workforce and population health outcomes have been achieved;

i. Making recommendations on how to utilize and distribute federal and State funds from the Graduate Medical Education Subsidy and Supplemental Graduate Medical Education Subsidy in each upcoming annual appropriations act based on the State’s five-year strategic plan;

j. Developing a five-year strategic plan for the management and growth of graduate medical education in the State; and

[e. Annually reporting to the Governor and the Education Committees] k. (1) Submitting an annual report [of the New Jersey Legislature on the council's activities pursuant to the provisions of this act] to the Governor and, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), beginning one year following the effective date of this act;

(2) The annual report shall contain the following:

(a) a summary of the council’s activities;

(b) the graduate medical workforce needs of the State, including emerging needs and any shortages in practice areas, as well the general health needs of the State;

(c) the manner in which the graduate medical education subsidy and any supplemental graduate medical education funding in the State’s annual appropriations act have been allocated among hospitals, including numerically, geographically, and according to specialty and setting;

(d) information on whether the graduate medical education subsidy and any supplemental graduate medical education funding in the State’s annual appropriations act are creating desired workforce and population health outcomes;

(e) an analysis of where medical graduates work following the completion of residency requirements and whether the number and type of graduate medical education funded positions was proportional to any needs or shortages in the State; and

(f) recommendations on achieving the proper distribution of graduate medical education positions in geographically underserved and specialty areas.

(cf: P.L.1994, c.48, s.171)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill revises the statutory obligations of the Advisory Graduate Medical Education Council of New Jersey (council).

Under the bill, the council is to be responsible to the Department of Health beginning on the bill’s effective date and meet at least once annually.

Under the bill, the functions of the council are expanded to include: 1) developing an informational guide of available funding for graduate medical education in the State to provide to legislators, policy-makers, and stakeholders three months prior to the start of a new fiscal year; 2) working with federal stakeholders to maximize the use of federal programs such as the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Residency Planning and Development Program and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program; 3) developing workforce and population health outcomes based on the Graduate Medical Education Subsidy and Supplemental Graduate Medical Education Subsidy of each upcoming annual appropriations act; 4) developing metrics to measure whether workforce and population health outcomes have been achieved; 5) making recommendations on how to utilize and distribute federal and State funds from the Graduate Medical Education Subsidy and Supplemental Graduate Medical Education Subsidy in each upcoming annual appropriations act based on the State’s five-year strategic plan; and 6) developing a five-year strategic plan for the management and growth of graduate medical education in the State.

The bill provides that the council is to submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature which contains the following: 1) a summary of the council’s activities; 2) the graduate medical workforce needs of the State, including emerging needs and any shortages in practice areas, as well the general health needs of the State; 3) the manner in which the graduate medical education subsidy and any supplemental graduate medical education funding in the State’s annual appropriations act have been allocated among hospitals, including numerically, geographically, and according to specialty and setting; 4) information on whether the graduate medical education subsidy and any supplemental graduate medical education funding in the State’s annual appropriations act are creating desired workforce and population health outcomes; 5) an analysis of where medical graduates work following the completion of residency requirements and whether the number and type of graduate medical education funded positions was proportional to any needs or shortages in the State; and 6) recommendations on achieving the proper distribution of graduate medical education positions in geographically underserved and specialty areas.