MINUTES

 

                                                WVRHEP RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

COMMITTEE MEETING

 

March 21, 2005, Days Inn, Flatwoods

 

Attending: Penny Rose Asbury, David Brown, Patricia Crawford, Deborah Curry, Tom Hefner, Lew Holloway, Sharon Lansdale, Imogene Foster for E. Jane Martin, Anna Reno. Staff: Alicia Tyler.  Absent: Jay Bonfili, Norm Ferrari, Marilyn Fox, Jill Hutchinson, Mike Holt, Jill McDaniel, Shirley Neel, Sandra Y. Pope, JoAnn Raines, Jessica Sharp, Bob Walker, Melissa Wheeler, Bob Whitler. Guests: Dennis McCutcheon, Ralph R. Utzman, Elaine Mason, Jon Willis, Susan Borror, Jodie Jackson.

 

Tom Hefner, vice chair, opened the meeting. Minutes of the November 15th meeting were approved on motion (Holloway/Reno). Tom discussed the “Levels” policy, which takes effect on July 1, 2005. The intent is to encourage rotations in the most underserved areas which have few rotations and are also HPSAs.  The policy stipulates that “the status of these sites will be reviewed annually by the R & R Committee.”  The review will occur in March 2006 when rotation reports are available. Alicia and Jodie will provide staff support.

 

Staff Report – Health Sciences Scholarship Outcomes

 

Alicia gave a handout on Recruitment & Retention excerpted from the Health Sciences & Rural Health Education Partnerships report to the legislature.

 

For medical graduates from 1994-1999 who have completed residencies

- 37% are practicing in WV (higher than national average)

- 25% are practicing in WV in primary care

- 10% are practicing in non-urban areas of WV

 

In 2004

- 74% of 47 graduates who completed in-state primary care residencies were practicing in WV

- 12% of 51 graduates who completed out-of-state p.c. residencies were practicing in WV

 

Lew Holloway reported that WVU has begun a new Rural Scholars Program, which gives 4th year medical students a $10,000 stipend for a project conducted in their family medicine residency training. Lew is trying to link with these scholars to develop projects for IDTs. The students are assured of a residency slot, and the program is statewide. 

 

Alicia reported on graduates who received financial incentives and are still in rural practice in WV:

- 39% of the 165 medical graduates from 1991-2001

- 53% of 64 nurse practitioner graduates from 1991-2004

- 47% of physician assistant graduates from 1991-2004

 

Alicia corrected the November 15th outcomes report for medical students in HSSP. The revised figures are:

 

MD/DO students who received HSSP and graduated from 1996-2001:

- 47 family practice and 21 (45%) in service (are serving or have served) in rural WV

- 10 internal medicine and 2 in service (20%)

- 5 medicine/pediatrics and 1 in service (20%)

- 5 obstetrics/gynecology and 4 in service (80%)

- 7 pediatrics and 2 in service (29%)

- 1 psychiatry and 0 in service

 

Health Sciences Scholarship Application

 

Jamie Stoner’s application for $10,000, which was held over from November 2004, was approved on motion (Foster/Reno). Ms. Stoner is a nurse practitioner student at Marshall who has experience in psychiatric nursing. She will fulfill her obligation by teaching in the Marshall nursing program. 


 

Shortage of Physical Therapists

 

Ralph Utzman, clinical coordinator for the WVU physical therapy program, discussed the shortage of physical therapists in West Virginia. Many factors are impacting the shortage. Highlights are given below:

 

-          WV has two PT programs: WVU and Wheeling Jesuit University, which doesn’t have a RHEP requirement. Both schools accept 30 students per year.

-          Changes in reimbursement have contributed to the shortage.

-          Applications are down. WVU received 120 applications in past years.  This year WVU has received 44 so far.

-          The WVU program began as a bachelor’s degree program. In 1998, it became a master’s degree program (2 years of prerequisites plus a 3 year professional program). This summer the program will accept its first class of professional doctorate (DPT) students, who must complete a 4-year undergraduate degree plus the 3 year professional program.

-          The move to a DPT is occurring nationally.  The increased expense of PT education is resulting in fewer applications.

-          The PT program has been involved in RHEP since 1994. They can identify students who want to return to rural sites.

-          Average starting salary in WV is low to mid-40 thousands. Hospitals pay less than private practice or home health. The median US salary is in low 60 thousands.  

-          PT students have increased educational debt load.

 

In response to a question, Ralph said that the Occupational Therapy program is not moving to the doctorate level. In 1998, the OT program moved to the master’s degree level.

 

Patti Crawford said that PT students have offered a lot to AHEC rotations.

 

LOCHHRA Request – HSSP Awards to PT Students

 

Alicia reported that the Legislative Oversight Committee on Health & Human Resources had requested that the Recruitment & Retention Committee consider adding physical therapy students to the list of eligible students for HSSP.  In recent years, HSSP has received few applications from physician assistant students, so funding would be available. The Committee voted on motion (Holloway/Crawford) to recommend to the Chancellor that physical therapy students be eligible for HSSP. (Chancellor Mullen has approved this recommendation for the 2005-06 awards.) 

 

Updates 

 

- Elaine Mason said that a Career Day for residents would be held in Morgantown on April 14th.

- Lew Holloway reported the Northern WVRHEC would hold an IDT in Preston Co.

- Anna said the new “Levels” policy was increasing student rotations in her area. She has received 19 requests for medical student rotations.

- Patti Crawford said the Southeastern AHEC is providing cultural competency training in Lewisburg and Beckley. There will be 3 residents and a new physician in Monroe County participating in the Rural Health Fellowship program. A new AHEC team in Mercer Co. will study Hepatitis C.

- Debbie Curry said the Southwestern AHEC continues to focus on the K-16 pipeline and will hold five mini camps in Wyoming, Wayne, Mason, and Mingo Counties. The AHEC will also hold a summer academy and take students to the WVSOM anatomy lab. Three Rural Health Fellows have been signed up. An IDT will look at health care related curricular areas. A total of 146 participated in bioterrorism training in Huntington. The Southwestern AHEC has a new Advisory Board.

  

The meeting was adjourned.