BILL ANALYSIS
SB 620
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Date of Hearing: June 16, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS
Mary Hayashi, Chair
SB 620 (Wiggins) - As Introduced: February 27, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 32-2
SUBJECT : Healing arts: osteopathic physicians and surgeons.
SUMMARY : Requires a licensed osteopathic physician and surgeon
(DO) to report to the Osteopathic Medical Board of California
(OMBC) at the time of license renewal, any specialty board
certification and their practice status, as defined. Permits a
DO to report, and the OMBC to collect, information regarding his
or her cultural background, and foreign language proficiency.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires a DO to report to the OMBC, at the time of license
renewal:
a) any specialty board certification that he or she holds
that is issued by a member board of the American Board of
Medical Specialties or approved by the OMBC; and,
b) his or her practice status, designated as one of the
following:
i) Full-time practice in California;
ii) Full-time practice outside of California;
iii) Part-time practice in California;
iv) Medical administrative employment that does not
include direct patient care;
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v) Retired; or,
vi) Other practice status, as may be further defined by
the OMBC.
2)Permits a DO to report to the OMBC, at the time of license
renewal, and requires the OMBC to collect, information
regarding his or her cultural background and foreign language
proficiency.
3)Permits the information collected to be placed on the OMBC's
Internet Web site.
4)Becomes operative on July 1, 2010.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Osteopathic Act of 1922 by voter
initiative to regulate the practice of osteopathic
medicine. Establishes the OMBC to license, regulate and
discipline DOs.
2)Requires a physician and surgeon licensed by the Medical
Board of California (MBC) to report at the time of
license renewal, any specialty board certification and
their practice status, as defined. Allows a physician
and surgeon to report and the MBC to collect, information
regarding his or her cultural background and foreign
language proficiency. Allows information collected to be
aggregated on an annual basis and reported on the MBC's
Internet website.
3)Establishes the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development (OSHPD) to, among other things, analyze
health care infrastructure, promote a diverse and
competent health care workforce, and provide information
about health care outcomes.
4)Establishes the California Health Care Workforce
Clearinghouse Program (clearinghouse) within OSHPD to
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serve as the state's central source of healthcare
workforce and educational data. The clearinghouse was
established by SB 139 (Scott), Chapter 522, Statutes of
2007 to serve as the central source for collection,
analysis, and distribution of information on the health
care workforce employment and educational data trends for
the state.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Purpose of this bill . According to the author's office, "This
bill seeks to assist the state and healthcare community to
address primary care physician shortage areas in the state by
providing information on the practice of osteopathic physicians
and surgeons through the form of a re-licensure survey.
Background . In 2005, the University of California authored a
comprehensive assessment of healthcare workforce needs which
recommended that state and national workforce data be reviewed
on a regular and systematic basis to assure that strategic
planning efforts are developed and aligned properly.
To help workforce planning, the Legislature passed AB 1586
(Negrete McLeod), Chapter 509, Statutes of 2001, requiring
physicians and surgeons to report to the MBC any specialty board
certification he or she holds and his or her practice status, as
defined, at the time of license renewal. This only captures
physicians that hold M.D.s, however; D.O.s are also physicians
who are fully educated and licensed to practice all aspects of
medicine. Thus, to gather a complete picture of the primary
care healthcare workforce, the number of types of practicing DOs
must be assessed, as well.
Suggested amendments . The committee may wish to consider the
following technical amendments clarifying when a D.O. reports
information to the OMBC.
On page 1, line 5, delete "license renewal" and add
Initial licensure
On page 2, line 15, after of, add
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initial licensure and
Related legislation . AB 1310 (Hernandez) requires the
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to collect information from
licensees of the Medical Board of California (MBC) and the Board
of Registered Nursing (BRN) for the purpose of healthcare
workforce development. This bill is currently pending in Senate
Rules.
AB 1586 (Negrete McLeod), Chapter 509, Statutes of 2001,
requires physicians and surgeons to report to the MBC any
specialty board certification he or she holds and his or her
practice status, as defined, at the time of license renewal.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (sponsor)
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Sarah Huchel / B. & P. / (916) 319-3301