What's happening
This bill creates and funds a residency program for unmatched physicians to serve in medically underserved areas of New York State.
Why it matters
Addresses Physician Shortages in Underserved Areas. By specifically targeting unmatched physicians to serve in locations with too few doctors, the bill aims to directly improve access to care for New Yorkers in communities most in need.
Creates New Pathways for Unmatched Medical Graduates. The program offers a lifeline to qualified medical school graduates (including graduates of NYS-accredited schools and certified foreign medical graduates) who were unable to secure residency placements through the traditional match system, helping prevent wasted training and talent.
Ties Public Investment to Community Service. Physicians who benefit from these publicly funded residency slots must commit to at least five years of service in underserved areas, ensuring the state's investment translates into long-term health workforce benefits for vulnerable populations.
Includes Accountability and Flexibility Provisions. The bill requires participating physicians to repay residency costs if they do not complete the required service, but also allows for hardship waivers, balancing accountability with compassion for personal circumstances.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund Doctor Training for Underserved
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2390
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER, BARCLAY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to developing and implementing a residency program initiative to service medically underserved areas; and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2807-mm to read as follows:
§ 2807-mm. Resident program initiative to service medically underserved areas. 1. The department shall develop and implement a residency program initiative for physicians who agree to work in medically underserved areas in New York state as designated by the commissioner as having a shortage of physicians in certain areas. This initiative will fund fifty residency positions.
2. The physician applicant must:
(a) complete a residency program initiative application, as developed by the department; and
(b) have entered the national resident matching program and have failed to match; and
(c) be a resident of New York state; and
(d) have graduated from a New York state accredited medical school and have passed the United States medical licensing examination steps 1 and 2; or
(e) be certified by the education commission for foreign medical graduates.
3. New York state accredited residency programs must complete a residency program participation application, as developed by the department.
4. In order for a New York state accredited residency program to be approved it must be either a teaching hospital or have teaching hospital oversight and be licensed by the department.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02397-02-9
A. 2390 2
5. Residency positions funded under this program shall be awarded to interested hospitals on a competitive basis pursuant to a request for proposal or request for application process.
6. The department will match physician applicants with approved medical residency programs.
7. Upon acceptance to an approved medical residency program the physician applicant must sign a contract with the state whereby the physician applicant agrees to work in New York state in a medically underserved area at the completion of his or her residency for a minimum of five years. The location must be approved by the department and must accept medicaid and medicare. The physician applicant shall be responsible to repay the department for the cost of their residency should they either fail to complete the residency or the subsequent service requirement. The commissioner shall be given the power to waive or modify the repayment requirement in cases where there is a compelling need or hardship.
§ 2. The sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of health from any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes account not otherwise appropriated for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this act. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of health, or his duly designated representative in the manner provided by law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.