2024 -- S 2716 | |
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LC004572 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- PRIMARY CARE TRAINING SITES PROGRAM | |
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Introduced By: Senators Lauria, Ruggerio, Pearson, DiMario, Miller, and Lawson | |
Date Introduced: March 05, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. The general assembly hereby makes the following findings of fact: |
2 | (1) Primary care healthcare in the State of Rhode Island is in crisis. |
3 | (2) There currently exists a national and regional shortage of primary care healthcare |
4 | providers. |
5 | (3) Many primary care healthcare providers are retiring early and many more are |
6 | approaching retirement age. |
7 | (4) Primary care healthcare is provided by physicians, nurse practitioners and physician |
8 | assistants and the overall numbers of medical professionals entering the field of primary care |
9 | healthcare is declining. |
10 | (5) It is increasingly difficult for primary care practices to hire nurses, medical assistants, |
11 | behavioral health clinicians and other key staff, which is leading to even higher burnout among |
12 | primary care providers. |
13 | (6) Fewer students are going into primary care as a profession due to lower salaries, high |
14 | student loans and increasing administrative burden leading to provider burnout. |
15 | (7) Our aging Rhode Island population requires more medical care. |
16 | (8) As a state, we must recruit, train, retain and sustain the number of primary care |
17 | providers sufficient to meet the population health needs of all Rhode Islanders. |
18 | (9) Investments in primary care are essential for access to health services, improving the |
19 | health of the population and reducing overall healthcare costs. |
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1 | SECTION 2. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby |
2 | amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
3 | CHAPTER 17.29 |
4 | PRIMARY CARE TRAINING SITES PROGRAM |
5 | 23-17.29-1. Short title. |
6 | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Primary Care Training Sites |
7 | Program". |
8 | 23-17.29-2. Definitions. |
9 | As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases are construed as follows: |
10 | (1) "Director" means the director of the department of health; |
11 | (2) "Grant" means a sum awarded pursuant to a contract executed pursuant to § 23-17.29- |
12 | 7(b); |
13 | (3) "National Committee for Quality Assurance" or "NCQA" means the nonprofit |
14 | organization headquartered in the District of Columbia working to improve healthcare quality |
15 | through the administration of evidence-based standards, measures, programs and accreditation; |
16 | (4) "Office" means the office of primary care training established pursuant to the provisions |
17 | of § 23-17.29-3; |
18 | (5) "Patient-centered medical home" or "PCMH" means a model of healthcare that puts |
19 | patients at the forefront of care by providing team-based healthcare delivery led by a healthcare |
20 | provider to render comprehensive and continuous medical care to patients with a goal to obtain |
21 | maximal health outcomes; |
22 | (6) "Primary care" means day-to-day healthcare provided by a healthcare professional. |
23 | Typically, the healthcare professional acts as the first contact and principal point of continuing care |
24 | for patients within a healthcare system, and coordinates other specialist care that the patient may |
25 | require; and |
26 | (7) "Primary care site" means a site, location or medical practice that serves as the patient's |
27 | entry point into the healthcare system and acts as the continuing focal point for all required |
28 | healthcare services. |
29 | 23-17.29-3. Creation of office of primary care training. |
30 | There is hereby authorized, created and established an office of primary care training |
31 | within the department of health. |
32 | 23-17.29-4. Purpose. |
33 | The purpose of the office of primary care training shall be to: |
34 | (1) Assist the director in developing an application and selection process for the awarding |
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1 | of grants pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; |
2 | (2) Provide oversight of grant recipients; |
3 | (3) Coordinate meetings and related logistics to implement the provisions of this chapter; |
4 | (4) Assist applicants for grants to comply with the process to include providing information |
5 | and assistance in processing of grant awards; |
6 | (5) Recommend acceptance or rejection of proposed contracts and grants to be approved |
7 | by the director in accordance with the provisions of § 42-11-11; |
8 | (6) Coordinate with the approval of the director, and with the director of administration, |
9 | the approval of all contracts negotiated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and the provisions |
10 | of § 42-11-11; |
11 | (7) Establish evidence-based standards to measure the success and performance of all |
12 | recipients of grants provided pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; and |
13 | (8) Perform all other duties as assigned by the director. |
14 | 23-17.29-5. Staff. |
15 | The office of primary care training shall be staffed by the person or persons assigned by |
16 | the director. |
17 | 23-17.29-6. Contracts. |
18 | In compliance with the provisions of § 42-11-11, the director shall have the authority to |
19 | enter into contracts for medical education to be conducted at primary care practice sites pursuant |
20 | to the provisions of § 23-17.29-7. |
21 | 23-17.29-7. Contract terms. |
22 | (a) Any contract entered into pursuant to the authority granted in § 23-17.29-6 shall |
23 | contain, at a minimum, the following terms, conditions and provisions: |
24 | (1) The primary care site shall serve as an enhanced interdisciplinary clinical training site; |
25 | (2) The primary care site shall have achieved and shall maintain NCQA PCMH distinction; |
26 | (3) The primary care site shall provide integrated behavioral health services; |
27 | (4) The primary care site shall provide an agreed curriculum of training for physicians, |
28 | nurse practitioners and physician assistants; and |
29 | (5) Training shall include a minimum of five (5) hours didactic training and shall introduce |
30 | the trainees to the concept of PCMH and how the principles of the model have been operationalized |
31 | in the primary care delivery setting. |
32 | (b) The contract may include a grant award not to exceed ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) |
33 | per primary care site contract recipient, per calendar year. |
34 | 23-17.29-8. Appropriations. |
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1 | (a) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, there is hereby appropriated out of any money |
2 | in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of two million, seven hundred thousand dollars |
3 | ($2,700,000) deposited into a restricted account to implement the primary care training sites |
4 | program established pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, and the state controller is hereby |
5 | authorized and directed to draw to the controller's orders upon the general treasurer for payment of |
6 | said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt by the general |
7 | treasurer of properly authenticated vouchers submitted by the director. |
8 | (b) For fiscal year 2025-2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, the general assembly shall |
9 | annually appropriate a sum as it may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and |
10 | the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw the controller's orders upon the general |
11 | treasurer for the payment of the sum or sums or so much thereof as may be required from time to |
12 | time to be deposited in a restricted receipt account upon receipt by the general treasurer of properly |
13 | authenticated vouchers submitted by the director. |
14 | 23-17.29-9. Rules and regulations. |
15 | The director shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this |
16 | chapter. |
17 | 23-17.29-10. Audits. |
18 | (a) The director shall submit annually all financial records and receipts of disbursements |
19 | to the auditor general and the director of administration. |
20 | (b) The auditor general and the director of administration are authorized to review and audit |
21 | all records, receipts, disbursements and transactions concerning the primary care training sites |
22 | program and the funds associated with the primary care training sites. |
23 | 23-17.29-11. Reports. |
24 | The director shall report annually to the general assembly and the governor no later than |
25 | December 31 of each year on the status and progress of the primary care training sites program |
26 | established and administered pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. |
27 | 23-17.29-12. Severability. |
28 | If any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the |
29 | provisions of this chapter, or its application to any person or circumstance, is held invalid by a court |
30 | of competent jurisdiction, the reminder of the chapter, rule or regulation and the application of the |
31 | provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by its invalidity. The invalidity of |
32 | any section or sections or portion of any section or sections of this chapter shall not affect the |
33 | validity of the remainder of this chapter. |
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1 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- PRIMARY CARE TRAINING SITES PROGRAM | |
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1 | This act would establish the primary care training sites program to provide training for |
2 | physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants within the department of health (DOH). |
3 | This act would appropriate two million seven hundred thousand dollars ($2,700,000) to implement |
4 | the program. |
5 | This act would take effect on July 1, 2024. |
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