MINUTES

 

                                                WVRHEP RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

COMMITTEE MEETING

 

March 15, Days Inn, Flatwoods

 

Attending: Penny Rose Asbury, Linda Atkins, Tom Hefner, Jill Hutchinson, Sharon Lansdale, Imogene Foster for E. Jane Martin, James W. Nemitz, Sandra Y. Pope, Bob Walker, Bob Whitler. Staff: Alicia Tyler.  Absent: Norm Ferrari, Marilyn Fox , Mike Holt, Judy Koehler, Jill McDaniel, Shirley Neel, Jo Ann Raines, Jessica Sharp, Guests: Jodie Jackson, Sheryll Tennant, Lynn Mugaas, Deborah Curry, Jon Willis, Jane Sullivan, Melissa Wheeler, Stephen Thomas, Henry Taylor, Lew D. Holloway, Elaine Mason, Amber Crist, Patti Crawford, Regina Young, Drema Mace.

 

Bob Walker, serving as chair, opened the meeting. Minutes of the Nov. 17 th meeting were approved.

 

Legislative Report

 

Bob Whitler gave an update. The Legislature did not increase the cigarette tax, which could have generated $30 million and 3:1 federal match to plug a $120 million hole in the Medicaid budget. One-time funds are being used to balance the FY05 budget. Next year, measures such as increasing the pop tax may have to be considered.

 

Bob reviewed Medicaid Expenditures from 1995-2003.  Home-based waiver programs increased 214 percent, pharmaceutical expenditures increased 161 percent, while reimbursement to physicians and hospitals remained flat.  In order to bring some equity to Medicaid spending, the Legislature passed H.B. 4084, the Pharmaceutical Availability and Affordability Act, to control increasing costs. It is a meld of the House bill, which created a rate commission, and the Senate bill, which created a clearinghouse for obtaining drugs at discount for low-income individuals. A study commission will report by September 15, 2004.

 

H.B. 4740 created the Patient Injury Compensation Fund, which will provide up to $1 million for economic damages for patients who may not be able to fully cover economic damages due to the elimination of joint liability or due to the Trauma cap. The WV Care Coalition worked on this bill.

 

H.B.4587 puts review activities of the West Virginia Medical Institute and the JCAHO under the Health Care Peer Review Organization Protection section of the W.Va. Code.

 

S.B. 161 creates a high risk insurance pool for individuals with pre-existing conditions who are unable to obtain coverage. The pool is funded by an assessment on hospitals.

 

S.B. 143 creates an insurance product for small businesses using PEIA reimbursement rates, but administered through private insurance firms.

 

S.B. 251 prohibits mandatory nursing overtime except in emergencies.  Hospitals must have policies to address this statute.

 

H.B. 4157 continues the Rural Health Advisory Panel to July 1, 2005.

 

H.B. 4143 creates the West Virginia Center for Nursing, to be located at the Higher Education Policy Commission.  The Center will replace the Nursing Shortage Study Commission, which will be abolished.

 

Staff Report

 

Alicia presented excerpts from the Recruitment & Retention section of the 2003 Report Card.

·         The report shows that 142 physician graduates of our state medical schools are currently practicing in rural WV.  About 41% of these physicians received one or more state financial incentives. Incentives were also important to recruitment of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Of 59 NPs recruited, 47% received incentives; and of 60 physician assistants recruited, 62% received incentives. All of these providers did RHEP rotations. 

 

·         In the 2003 Report Card, recruitment data was plotted on state maps showing rural areas, underserved areas, poverty, and other need indicators.  Jon Willis at Marshall produced the GIS maps.

 

·         The legislative PERD (Performance Evaluation & Research Division) audit calls for more study of the effectiveness of the State’s recruitment programs, as well as those in other states.  There is interest in tax credits on loan repayment and off-setting the income tax paid on loan repayment.

 

·         The Health Sciences Scholarship Program and other higher education programs were audited.  The auditors noted the role of the HSSP Awards subcommittee in recommending changes in the program to reduce defaults.

 

Bob Whitler said that recruitment has improved at CAMC, which recruited 47 physicians this year compared to none the previous year.

 

Linda Atkins was asked to present data on placements made by her office, including J-1 Visa Physicians.  She agreed to present this data at the May 17th meeting.

 

Jodie Jackson reported that she has been working with the schools to add recruitment data to the TRACKER system. This should be completed within a month. The current method of gathering data and producing the Recruitment Report is very labor intensive.

 

A question was asked if dentists qualify for State Loan Repayment.  Linda Atkins said that they do; some dentists have been recruited for FQHCs. Jill Hutchinson said that the federal government has paid for dental operatories at FQHCs, but this year only three were funded in the U.S. West Virginia ranks 50th in oral health.

 

Jim Nemitz said that the Recruitment Report needs to show recruitment from our residencies, including out-of-state residents. He said it was critical to save dedicated seats for state residents, while giving opportunities to out-of-state physicians who may want to change residencies. 

 

Division of Rural Health Update

 

Drema Mace, the Director of the Division in the Bureau for Public Health, reported:

 

·       The Recruitable Communities will now be administered by the Division.  It is a partnership with the WVU Department of Family Medicine, the WVU Extension Service, and the Center for Rural Health Development.

 

·       Under the FLEX program, grants are being awarded to Critical Access Hospitals. The hospital administrators want to form a network of CAHs.

 

·       In Minority Health, mini grants are ready to go out.  The Division will hold community-based institutes on grant writing, board development, etc.

 

·       The Rural Health Conference will have a Recruitment Fair, Minority Health Track, Clinical Updates, and Hands-on Training.  It will be held at the Stonewall Resort, October 25-27.

 

WV Rural Health Access Program Update

 

Sharon Lansdale, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Health Development, reported that the Robert W. Johnson Foundation and the Benedum Foundation will continue funding of the Recruitment Communities Project, the Coordinated Placement Project, the Loan Fund, and the Rural Health Leadership Fellowship.  The Fellowship will focus more on graduate education through a partnership of RHEP/AHEC. The Center has hired Brett Chandler to provide technical assistance.

 

AHECs

 

Tom Hefner suggested that directors of the new AHECs be invited to become members of the Recruitment & Retention Committee.  Dr. Walker agreed, and asked Alicia to send invitations.

The meeting was adjourned.