76th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2011 Regular Session
NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
{ + braces and plus signs + } .
LC 2480
House Bill 2391
Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5).
Presession filed (at the request of House Interim Committee on
Health Care for Oregon Academy of Family Physicians)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
Requires Oregon Health and Science University to establish
primary care transformation research and training center to
facilitate use of patient centered primary care home model of
health care delivery.
Establishes locum tenens program and interdisciplinary
continuing medical education center in Area Health Education
Center program to provide substitute services for rural
physicians and assist physicians and clinics in implementing
patient centered primary care home health care delivery model.
Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Oregon Health and
Science University to establish and operate primary care
transformation research and training center, locum tenens program
and interdisciplinary continuing medical education program.
Declares emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to primary care; creating new provisions; amending ORS
348.117, 353.450 and 442.570; appropriating money; and
declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. { + (1) The Oregon Health and Science University
shall establish a primary care transformation research and
training center to facilitate the use of the patient centered
primary care home model in the delivery of primary care.
(2) The center shall:
(a) Evaluate the effectiveness of delivery system and practice
changes.
(b) Provide ongoing training for the transformation specialists
serving in the locum tenens program created by ORS 353.450 to
optimize their effectiveness in initiating practice
transformation throughout the state.
(c) Set up and facilitate community-based learning
collaborations for primary care providers. + }
SECTION 2. ORS 353.450 is amended to read:
353.450. (1) It is the finding of the Legislative Assembly that
there is need to provide programs that will assist a rural
community to recruit and retain physicians, physician assistants
and nurse practitioners. For that purpose:
(a) { - The Legislative Assembly supports the development
at - } The Oregon Health and Science University { - of - }
{ + shall administer + } an Area Health Education Center
program as provided for under the United States Public Health
Service Act, Section 781.
(b) The university shall provide continuing education
opportunities for persons licensed to practice medicine under ORS
chapter 677 who practice in rural areas of this state in
cooperation with the respective professional organizations,
including the Oregon Medical Association and the Oregon Society
of Physician Assistants.
(c) The university shall seek funding through grants and other
means to implement and operate a fellowship program for
physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners
intending to practice in rural areas.
(2) With the moneys transferred to the Area Health Education
Center program by ORS 442.625, the program shall:
(a) Establish educational opportunities for emergency medical
technicians in rural counties;
(b) Contract with educational facilities qualified to conduct
emergency medical training programs using a curriculum approved
by the Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems Program; and
(c) Review requests for training funds with input from the
State Emergency Medical Service Committee and other individuals
with expertise in emergency medical services.
{ + (3) The Area Health Education Center program shall
include a locum tenens program to:
(a) Provide temporary relief to rural physicians who need time
away from their practices by arranging for substitute
practitioners to cover office hours and treat patients at a
below-market cost to the rural physician;
(b) Offer transformation specialists to bring information to
and assist rural clinics and physicians in transforming their
practices into patient centered primary care home models; and
(c) Encourage and support participation in learning
collaboratives to spread successful transformation strategies
that improve delivery of health care access and outcomes.
(4) The Area Health Education Center program shall adopt a
schedule of fees for services provided under subsection (3) of
this section. All fees collected shall be used by the Area Health
Education Center program in the operation of the locum tenens
program.
(5) The Area Health Education Center program shall include an
interdisciplinary continuing medical education program to provide
education:
(a) That focuses on strategies to transform medical practices
into patient centered primary care home models;
(b) Across medical disciplines; and
(c) At the medical clinic or medical practice level. + }
SECTION 3. ORS 348.117, as amended by section 13, chapter 42,
Oregon Laws 2010, is amended to read:
348.117. (1) Student borrowers under ORS 348.115 shall be
required to pay at least seven percent interest per annum on the
unpaid balance from the date of the loan as provided in
subsection (5) of this section.
(2) Repayment of the principal and accruing and deferred
interest on loans shall be commenced not later than 12 months
after the student's completion of the nursing program or other
termination of the student's education.
(3) Repayment of loans shall be deferred upon application
therefor for up to three years during which:
(a) The student borrower is enrolled as at least a half-time
student in a subsequent nursing program leading to a nursing
degree higher than that attained in the initial program; or
(b) The student borrower shows inability to locate suitable
employment.
(4) Repayment commences under the usual terms if the student
borrower ceases to be employed as a nurse in this state before
completing the practice requirements set forth in ORS 348.115
(4).
(5) Repayment shall be completed in a maximum of 120 months
from the time repayment is commenced. However, nothing in this
subsection is intended to prevent repayment without penalty at an
earlier date than provided in this subsection or to prohibit the
Oregon Student Assistance Commission from extending the repayment
period to a date other than specified by this subsection.
(6) A student who borrows under ORS 348.115 shall have 100
percent of principal and accrued interest on loans under this
section, ORS 348.115, { - 353.450, 442.470, - } 442.520 and
656.256 canceled if it can be documented that, within five years
of graduation:
(a) The student has completed one calendar year of full-time
employment as a nurse in the State of Oregon for each academic
year in which a loan was received; or
(b) The student has completed two calendar years of half-time
employment as a nurse in the State of Oregon for each academic
year in which a loan was received.
(7) A student who borrows under this section, ORS 348.115,
{ - 353.450, 442.470, - } 442.520 and 656.256 and completes at
least one calendar year of the practice obligation described in
subsection (6) of this section shall have the amount of principal
and accrued interest on loans under this section, ORS 348.115,
{ - 353.450, 442.470, - } 442.520 and 656.256 canceled for each
calendar year of qualifying practice that is:
(a) For full-time practice, equal to the principal and accrued
interest on the loan borrowed for the comparable academic year of
award; or
(b) For half-time practice, equal to half of the principal and
accrued interest on the loan borrowed for the comparable academic
year of the award.
(8) Repayment of any remaining principal and interest shall be
waived upon the death or total and permanent disability of the
student borrower.
SECTION 4. ORS 442.570 is amended to read:
442.570. (1) There is established in the State Treasury a fund,
separate and distinct from the General Fund, to be known as the
Rural Health Services Fund { - , - } { + . Moneys in the fund
are continuously appropriated to Department of Administrative
Services for allocation to the Office of Rural Health + }for
investments as provided by ORS 293.701 to 293.820 { - , - }
{ + and + } for the payment of expenses of the { - Oregon
Student Assistance Commission - } { + Office of Rural
Health + } in carrying out the purposes of ORS 315.613, 315.616,
315.619, { - 353.450, 442.470, - } 442.503 and 442.550 to
442.570. Interest earned by the account shall be credited to the
account.
(2) The Office of Rural Health shall seek matching funds from
communities that benefit from placement of practitioners under
ORS 442.550 to 442.570. The office shall establish a program to
enroll interested communities in this program and deposit money
proceeds from this effort in the Rural Health Services Fund. In
addition, the office shall explore other funding sources
including federal grant programs.
SECTION 5. ORS 442.570, as amended by section 5, chapter 42,
Oregon Laws 2010, is amended to read:
442.570. (1) There is established in the State Treasury a fund,
separate and distinct from the General Fund, to be known as the
Primary Care Services Fund. Moneys in the Primary Care Services
Fund are continuously appropriated to the Oregon Department of
Administrative Services for allocation to the Office of Rural
Health for investments as provided by ORS 293.701 to 293.820, for
expenses and payments by the office in carrying out the purposes
of ORS 315.613, 315.616, 315.619, { - 353.450, 442.470, - }
442.503 and 442.550 to 442.570. Interest earned by the fund shall
be credited to the fund.
(2) The office shall seek matching funds from the federal
government and from communities that benefit from placement of
participants under ORS 442.550 to 442.570. The office shall
establish a program to enroll interested communities in this
program and deposit moneys from the matching funds and from the
Primary Care Services Program in the Primary Care Services Fund.
In addition, the office shall explore other funding sources
including federal grant programs.
SECTION 6. { + There is appropriated to the Oregon Health and
Science University, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2011, out
of the General Fund:
(1) The amount of $400,000 for the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 1 of this 2011 Act;
(2) The amount of $300,000 for the purpose of establishing and
operating the locum tenens program created by ORS 353.450, as
amended by section 2 of this 2011 Act; and
(3) The amount of $700,000 for the purpose of establishing and
operating the interdisciplinary continuing medical education
program created by ORS 353.450, as amended by section 2 of this
2011 Act. + }
SECTION 7. { + Section 1 and the amendments to ORS 353.450 by
section 2 of this 2011 Act become operative January 1, 2012. + }
SECTION 8. { + The Oregon Health and Science University make
take any actions prior to the operative date specified in section
7 of this 2011 Act to carry out the provisions of section 1 of
this 2011 Act and the amendments to ORS 353.450 by section 2 of
this 2011 Act on and after the operative date specified in
section 7 of this 2011 Act. + }
SECTION 9. { + This 2011 Act being necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist, and this 2011 Act takes effect on its
passage. + }
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