MINUTES

MINUTES

WVRHEP RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

COMMITTEE MEETING

November 13, 2006, Days Inn, Flatwoods

Attending: Patricia Crawford, Deborah Curry, Tom Hefner, Lew Holloway, Imogene Foster (for E. Jane Martin), Sandra Y. Pope, Sonnie Strader, Melissa Wheeler. Staff: Alicia Tyler. Absent: David Brown, Terri Bliziotes, Jay Bonfili, Norm Ferrari, Marilyn Fox, Sharon Lansdale, Jill McDaniel, Jo Ann Raines, Anna Reno, Bob Walker, Bob Whitler. Guests: Shaun Balleydier, Nancy Melton, Elaine Mason, Ken Shannon, Chris Dodge, Jodie Jackson, Nannette Van Dyke-McDonald

Tom Hefner, serving as chair, opened the meeting. The minutes of the September 11th meeting were approved on motion (Pope/Curry).

HEALTH SCIENCES SCHOLARSHIP OUTCOMES

Alicia presented charts that showed service outcomes on HSSP (not including providers still in training).

MD/DO students who received HSSP and graduated from 1996-2003:

- 59 family practice and 29 (49%) in service (are serving or have served) in rural WV

- 14 internal medicine and 2 in service (14%)

- 7 medicine/pediatrics and 2 in service (29%)

- 6 obstetrics/gynecology and 4 in service (67%)

- 7 pediatrics and 2 in service (29%)

- 1 psychiatry and 0 in service

Most of the physicians who did not serve (but paid back their obligations) are practicing in urban areas of West Virginia. A few have taken in-state faculty positions.

Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Educator students who graduated from 1996-2005:

- 53 NP/NE students and 39 (74%) in service

Physician Assistant students who graduated from 1996-2006:

- 22 PA students and 14 (64%) in service

- PA applications have dropped in recent years

Physical Therapy students who graduated in 2006:

- 2 PT students and 2 (100%) in service

HSSP APPLICATIONS

The review subcommittees recommended funding 16 of the 24 applications received. Sixteen awards would require spending the annual appropriation ($149,217) and approximately 27% of the revolving fund, which includes paybacks from previous years.

Recommended awards:

8 MD/DO students $160,000 ($20,000 each)

7 NP/1 PT students 80,000 ($10,000 each)

$240,000 Total

The Committee voted on motion (Foster/Pope) to approve the following medical students:

Marshall University: Lou B. Bartram, Mary E. Sizemore, Crystal R. Taylor (NP students)

West Virginia University: Stephanie M. Foutty (PT student)

Jeannie M. Morris, Theresa Poling, Brenda Sebastian-Marcum, Violet Vance

(NP students)

Subcommittee members who reviewed medical student applications included Melissa Wheeler, Jennifer Plymale, Patti Crawford, Elaine Mason, Anna Reno, Tom Hefner and Alicia Tyler.

Subcommittee members who reviewed NP, NE, and PT applications included Martha Endres, Sonnie Strader, Jodie Jackson, Kathryn Greenlief, Jacki Masi, Sandra Pope and Alicia Tyler.

Tom Hefner asked if the paybacks to HSSP accrue interest. He also asked if the annual appropriation needs to be increased or the awards reduced. Alicia will follow up on this at the next meeting.

PRINCIPLES OF RETAINING PHYSICIANS

Jodie Jackson reviewed highlights of a presentation given by Dr. Donald Pathman from the UNC-Chapel Hill. The presentation, based on 16 years of research, found that:

- Long-term retention (average 6 years) is a realistic goal for any rural community;

- Primary care physicians should be recruited within the state for longer retention;

- Retention is based on a good match between a provider and a community;

- Rural physicians are atypical (professional supports and technology are less important, while independence and the community are more important;

- Retention is influenced by what physicians encounter in their practices and communities (e.g., reasonable call coverage, busy practice, and opportunity for teaching).

Tom Hefner added that the satisfaction of the spouse is important. Patti Crawford gave an example of support to retain a new physician – he got a loan through the Center for Rural Health Development to begin his practice.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES REPORT

Melissa Wheeler and Alicia reported outcomes on state incentive programs administered by the Higher Education Policy Commission; the Division of Rural Health and Recruitment (Bureau for Public Health); and the RHEP office. The report, based on the 2006 Report Card to the Legislature, included the following:

-Of 213 physician graduates in rural practice in 2006, 90 (42%) received a state financial incentive.

- Of 92 NPs/Nurse Educator graduates in practice in 2006, 39 (42%) received a state financial award.

- Of the 131 Physician Assistant graduates in practice in 2006, 43 (33%) received a state financial incentive.

- 55 rural providers received two or more awards.

RURAL LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP

Patti Crawford and Debbie Curry discussed their presentation at the Rural Health Conference. The Southeastern and Southwestern AHECs have sponsored residents and new physicians in fellowships with funding from the Center for Rural Health Development. Fellows have also led AHEC teams. Both programs have contributed to recruitment and retention of new rural physicians. .

The meeting was adjourned.