Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce

Miss. Code Ann. tit. 41, ch. 123
in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-1 Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce established; purpose, staffing, duties.

There is established the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce within the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) for the purpose of overseeing the physician workforce development and needs, both in numbers and distribution, of the State of Mississippi. The office shall have a director who must be a physician licensed in the State of Mississippi. In addition, the office shall have a researcher to assist the director in collecting and analyzing data concerning the physician workforce needs of Mississippi and other necessary staff to assist in its work. The office shall have the following duties, at a minimum: Assessing the current numbers, ages, types of practice, hospital affiliations, and geographic distribution of physicians in each medical specialty in Mississippi; Assessing the current and future physician workforce needs of the State of Mississippi; Assisting in the creation and/or support of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited GME training programs in the State of Mississippi based on needs analysis and criteria established by the office and the advisory board while maintaining a strong and continued priority focus on family medicine. This support may include the awarding of state financial assistance as available, for the creation or support of family medicine residencies and other GME programs approved by the advisory board; Encouraging the development of an adequate and geographically distributed physician workforce in all specialties for the State of Mississippi with an evolving strategic plan; and Providing an annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, the State Board of Health, and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning on the current status of the physician workforce and training programs in Mississippi.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-3 Mississippi Physician Workforce Advisory Board; composition, appointments, meetings.

The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce shall be administered by UMMC. An advisory board shall be created to assist UMMC in achieving the purpose of this chapter to be known as the “Mississippi Physician Workforce Advisory Board.” The advisory board shall be composed of the following members: The Chairman of the State Board of Health. The State Health Officer. Two (2) physicians appointed by and from the membership of the Mississippi State Medical Association for a term of three (3) years. Any member appointed under this paragraph may be reappointed for two (2) additional terms. Two (2) physicians appointed by and from the membership of the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians for a term of three (3) years. Any member appointed under this paragraph may be reappointed for two (2) additional terms. One (1) physician appointed by and from the membership of each of the following organizations, whose terms shall be for three (3) years and who may be reappointed for two (2) additional terms: Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association; Mississippi Chapter, American College of Physicians; Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; Mississippi Chapter, American College of OB-GYN; and Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association. Two (2) physician designees of the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the dean. One (1) of the members appointed under this paragraph must be responsible for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. The Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. A member of the State Board of Medical Licensure, who will serve at the will and pleasure of that board. One (1) physician designee of the Dean of the William Carey School of Medicine, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the dean. One (1) representative of the Mississippi Economic Council appointed by the president of the council, and who will serve at the will and pleasure of the president. One (1) representative of the Mississippi Development Authority appointed by the executive director of the authority, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the executive director. One (1) representative of the Mississippi Hospital Association, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the association. Two (2) representatives of the Mississippi Primary Health Care Association, who will serve at the will and pleasure of the association. Vacancies on the advisory board must be filled in a manner consistent with the original appointments. All appointments to the advisory board must be made no later than July 10, 2012. After a majority of the members are appointed, the advisory board shall meet on a date mutually agreed upon by a majority of the members for the purposes of organizing the advisory board and establishing rules for transacting its business. A majority of the members of the advisory board shall constitute a quorum at all advisory board meetings. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the making recommendations by the advisory board. At the organizational meeting, the advisory board shall elect a chair and vice chair from the members appointed according to paragraphs (a) through (l) of subsection (1). The chair shall serve for a term of two (2) years, upon the expiration of which the vice chair shall assume the office of chair. After the organizational meeting, the advisory board shall hold no less than two (2) meetings annually. The advisory board may form an executive committee for the purpose of transacting business that must be conducted before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the advisory board. All actions taken by the executive committee must be ratified by the advisory board at its next regularly scheduled meeting. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the advisory board. The advisory board shall be housed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-5 Powers and duties of Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce.

The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce shall have the following powers and duties, at a minimum: Developing the administrative policy for the advisory board and the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce; Developing and implementing strategies and activities for the office and for the implementation of an evolving strategic plan to provide for the physician workforce needs of Mississippi. In developing these strategies, the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce and the advisory board shall seek the input of various organizations and entities including the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, the Mississippi Chapters of the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of OB-GYN, the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, and the Mississippi Osteopathic Medicine Association; Establishing a budget to support the activities of the office and periodically reviewing and if appropriate, revising, that budget to meet its mission; Selecting, hiring and supervising the Director of the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce; Reviewing the activities of the office and guiding the office in accomplishing the strategic goal of providing Mississippi’s physician workforce needs.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-7 Policies and procedures for awarding state financial support for creation of family medicine residency programs.

The advisory board shall recommend policies and procedures for the awarding of state funding that creates and/or provides sustaining support for the desired number of ACGME accredited Family Medicine residency programs and other valued and needed ACGME residencies approved by the advisory board that will accept both M.D. and D.O. students. UMMC with the input of the advisory board shall have the authority to award financial support, from funds specifically appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature, of up to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) to any hospital or entity with demonstrated commitment and resources, as determined by UMMC with input from the advisory board, to establish and operate an ACGME accredited Family Medicine residency program or other GME program qualifying under subsection (1) of this section. The funds will be dispersed at the determination of UMMC, with input from the advisory board, and may include start-up funding and/or provide sustaining support for residency programs. Each applicant for state financial support for creation of an ACGME residency program as authorized under this section must submit an application to UMMC through the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce that conforms to requirements established by this chapter and by UMMC with input from the advisory board. In selecting recipients for state financial support authorized under this section, following criteria and recommendations from the advisory board, UMMC may use its discretion to award funding based on demographic needs and the future success of the residency program. An applicant for state financial support for creation of an ACGME accredited residency program may receive funding only upon approval of UMMC with input from the advisory board.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-9 Adherence by recipient to policies and practices to continue receiving state financial support; authorized uses of financial support.

Hospitals, other entities and/or residency programs must adhere to the policies and practices as stipulated by the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce to continue receiving state financial support under this chapter. Hospitals, other entities and/or residency programs may receive state financial support that may be provided by the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce pursuant to this chapter. Any financial support awarded by the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce must be used for only the creation of a residency or for residency operational expenses, or the recipient will be liable for repayment of any financial support received under this chapter.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-11 Residency programs established with state financial support to accept students from accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools.

Any residency program established with state financial support must at a minimum be capable of accepting students from both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools that are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-123-13 Funding for operation of Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce.

Funding for the operation of the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce and the Mississippi Physician Workforce Advisory Board, including the salary of the director of the office and all necessary staff, shall be paid from funds specifically appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.

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