HJ0056

LRB096 12868 DRJ 26660 r






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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION


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

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

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

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

 
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    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to several major 
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academic institutions whose graduates in the field of  medicine 
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are unknown and lack an effort devoted to the study of the 
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physician workforce; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has no central repository of 
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information about medical school and residency graduates and 
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their retention, nor of the incentives/disincentives to remain 
 


 






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within the State's borders; and

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

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

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

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

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
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SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly recommends 
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that an Illinois Physician Workforce Institute be organized and 
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operated as an independent, unbiased, and not-for-profit 
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research organization whose purpose is to collect, aggregate, 
 


 






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analyze, and distribute Illinois-specific physician workforce 
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data to provide objective information for assisting health 
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care, professional, and education organizations, policy 
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makers, and the public on issues related to the supply, demand, 
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distribution, and use of physicians across the State; and be it 
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further

 
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    RESOLVED, That the General Assembly recommends that health 
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and health care stakeholders and educational institutions 
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collaborate to form a public-private partnership to develop an 
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Illinois Physician Workforce Institute that would:
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        (1) Collect, analyze, track, and distribute physician 
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    workforce data in Illinois through relationships with 
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    existing State and other agencies and through de novo 
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    survey processes;

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

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

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        (4) Evaluate proposed and enacted health care policy 
 


 






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    legislation and regulations to determine the impact on 
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    Illinois' physician workforce;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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        (12) Foster partnerships with new and existing health 
 


 






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    workforce research initiatives to understand physician 
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    workforce issues in the context of Illinois' overall health 
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    and health care workforce needs; and

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        (13) Provide State funding to assist in the costs 
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    associated with data collection and analysis for 
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    physicians; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That the General Assembly urges the Governor, the 
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Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department 
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of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Illinois Board of 
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Higher Education, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and 
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Family Services, the Illinois Department of Commerce and 
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Economic Opportunity, and other relevant State agencies to 
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collaborate with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, 
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the Illinois State Medical Society, the Illinois Hospital 
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Association, and the Illinois Public Health Institute, in the 
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development of the Illinois Physician Workforce Institute; and 
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be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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delivered to the Governor, the Director of Public Health, the 
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Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation, the 
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Chairperson of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the 
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Director of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Director of 
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Commerce and Economic Opportunity.