HJ0056 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0056 LRB096 12868 DRJ 26660 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The health and health care needs of the residents of the State of Illinois are a primary concern of the State government; and

WHEREAS, Forecasters anticipate significant physician shortages due to changing health care workforce demographics, looming retirements of physicians, and increased demand for health care services as the population ages; and

WHEREAS, Addressing physician workforce issues requires data and planning; and

WHEREAS, Illinois-specific health and physician-supply-and-demand data remain fragmented and incomplete; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to several major academic institutions whose graduates in the field of medicine are unknown and lack an effort devoted to the study of the physician workforce; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has no central repository of information about medical school and residency graduates and their retention, nor of the incentives/disincentives to remain within the State's borders; and

WHEREAS, The needs of medically underserved rural and urban residents of the State of Illinois are largely unknown and often unmet; and

WHEREAS, Illinois lacks a coordinated effort to collect and disseminate data and information to help assess current and future physician supply, demand, and distribution issues in the State; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly and State agencies in Illinois lack physician workforce data and information necessary to inform policy-making; and

WHEREAS, The 2007 Illinois State Health Improvement Plan identifies having an optimal, competent, and diverse physician workforce as a critical strategic health care priority; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly recommends that an Illinois Physician Workforce Institute be organized and operated as an independent, unbiased, and not-for-profit research organization whose purpose is to collect, aggregate, analyze, and distribute Illinois-specific physician workforce data to provide objective information for assisting health care, professional, and education organizations, policy makers, and the public on issues related to the supply, demand, distribution, and use of physicians across the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly recommends that health and health care stakeholders and educational institutions collaborate to form a public-private partnership to develop an Illinois Physician Workforce Institute that would:

(1) Collect, analyze, track, and distribute physician workforce data in Illinois through relationships with existing State and other agencies and through de novo survey processes;

(2) Identify existing and new data resources necessary to benchmark and measure Illinois' progress over time, including adding a web-based questionnaire for those renewing their State licensure to collect critical data points on workforce development for physicians and practice environments modeled after existing programs in other states;

(3) Consider the impact of changes in health care education and service on the demand for and use of physicians in Illinois;

(4) Evaluate proposed and enacted health care policy legislation and regulations to determine the impact on Illinois' physician workforce;

(5) Conduct studies of the supply, demand, use, and education of the physician workforce;

(6) Survey the graduates of medical schools, residencies, and fellowships to determine how effective Illinois is in retaining these graduates;

(7) Provide technical assistance to health care and education organizations on issues related to current and projected physician workforce issues;

(8) Function as a comprehensive information resource to assist health care, professional, and education organizations, policy makers, and the public in their efforts related to the supply, demand, distribution, and use of physicians in Illinois;

(9) Report on the diversity of the physician workforce and present strategies for ensuring a physician workforce that reflects the diversity of Illinois' population;

(10) Perform a physician re-registration survey in conjunction with physician license renewal that describes the supply and distribution of the current physician workforce in the State;

(11) Perform an annual resident exit survey for the approximately 6,000 residents and fellows who complete training in Illinois programs;

(12) Foster partnerships with new and existing health workforce research initiatives to understand physician workforce issues in the context of Illinois' overall health and health care workforce needs; and

(13) Provide State funding to assist in the costs associated with data collection and analysis for physicians; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly urges the Governor, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and other relevant State agencies to collaborate with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Illinois Hospital Association, and the Illinois Public Health Institute, in the development of the Illinois Physician Workforce Institute; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Director of Public Health, the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Chairperson of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.