BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 174
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|Author: |Gray |
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|Version: |June 1, 2015 Hearing |
| |Date: July 8, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant: |Olgalilia Ramirez |
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Subject: University of California: medical education
SUMMARY
This bill commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year, appropriates
$1.25 million from the State General Fund to the Regents of the
University of California (UC) to support the expansion of the
San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Program in Medical Education (PRIME).
BACKGROUND
UC operates six schools of medicine at Davis, Irvine, Los
Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and San Francisco. In 2014-15,
total enrollment in these programs was approximately 3,000
medical students and more than 5,000 medical residents. Nearly
50% of medical students and medical residents in California are
trained by the UC.
PRIME
UC PRIME is an innovative training program focused on meeting
the needs of California's underserved populations in both rural
communities and urban areas by combining specialized coursework,
structured clinical experiences, advanced independent study, and
mentoring. These activities are organized and structured to
prepare highly motivated, socially conscious students as future
clinicians, leaders, and policymakers. Each new program has an
area of focus that is selected based upon faculty expertise, the
populations served by each school and its medical center, and
other local considerations. Each continues to develop and
improve its guidelines for admission and recruitment of students
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and its new curriculum designed to educate and train future
physician leaders, researchers and advocates for the communities
they will serve.
ANALYSIS
1)This bill commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year, appropriates
$1.25 million from the State General Fund to the Regents of
the UC to support the expansion of SJV PRIME. Specifically,
this bill:
a) Makes findings and declarations in support of the
proposed appropriations.
b) Appropriates funds to support expansion of the SJV
PRIME program to admit up to 12 students per year and
operate the program with up to 48 student participants over
the four-year curriculum annually.
STAFF COMMENTS
1)Need for the bill. According to the author, California faces a
shortage in the number of physicians available to serve its
residents, and the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is
disproportionately affected by this shortage. Furthermore
access to health care in the SJV which extends from Stockton
to Bakersfield is already well below the recommended level of
primary care physicians with a patient to doctor ratio that is
31 percent less than the rest of California. The author also
asserts that despite its numerous benefits for the SJV, the
Program in Medical Education (PRIME) program lacks ongoing
funding for its current enrollment as well as the financial
resources needed to expand capacity as an interim step to
meeting the region's health care needs. This bill seeks to
expand the number of physicians that can serve the state and
address the need of quality health care in SJV.
2)SJV PRIME Program. Building on the success of the PRIME program
at all University of California (UC) medical schools and its
medical education programs throughout the state, the UC
Regents approved the UC Merced SJV PRIME program in September
2010 to help provide a unique solution to the healthcare
issues of the central valley.
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The program is a collaboration between UC Davis, UC Merced,
and the University of San Francisco's Fresno Medical Education
Program and intended to strengthen the recruitment and
retention of new physicians in the SJV - one of California's
most medically underserved areas. The SJV PRIME program allows
a small number of students to enroll in the UC Davis Medical
School and complete the clinic portion of their degree in SJV
clinics thereby strengthening the desire for new physicians to
practice in the area.
Recognizing the health problems in the valley, the program
partners with communities to reverse long-standing health
inequities and address the social determinants of health
disparities. The program also actively promotes
inter-professional education as a pathway toward improved
health and health care. For the 2015 academic year, only eight
students were admitted to SJV PRIME and overall enrollment in
the program stands at 27 students. This bill would appropriate
funds to support 12 students per year and operate the SJV
PRIME program with up to 48 student participants.
3)Related Budget Activity. The Budget Act of 2015 includes
language requiring the University of California to continue
planning for a School of Medicine at the Merced campus in
accordance with the action approved by the UC Regents on May
14, 2008, and requires the UC to allocate up to $1 million
from the budget appropriation or other funds available to the
university for this purpose.
4)Related and prior legislation.
SB 131 (Cannella, 2015) identical to this bill, appropriates
the $1.2 million to the UC from the General Fund for the SJV
PRIME program. The bill was held on suspense in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
SB 841 (Canella, 2014) as introduced was identical to AB 174
but was subsequently amended to remove the appropriation for
the University of California, Merced Medical School. This bill
was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SUPPORT
California Chapter of the American College of Emergency
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Physicians
CAPG
Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones
OPPOSITION
None received.
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