PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 600 PRINTER'S NO. 691
No. 546 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. SHANE, HAMMOCK, MRS. KELLY, MESSRS.
DiCARLO, BELLOMINI, IRVIS, VANN, GALLAGHER, SHUPNIK, LINCOLN,
COHEN, O'DONNELL, RHODES, COWELL, PANCOAST, DeMEDIO, WAGNER,
M. E. MILLER, JR., LAUGHLIN, GEORGE, ZELLER, BERLIN,
MISCEVICH, MILANOVICH, REED, LINCOLN, ZORD, MISS SIRIANNI,
MRS. TOLL, MESSRS. PARKER, LETTERMAN, DREIBELBIS, DOYLE,
MORRIS, VALICENTI, HOPKINS, HASKELL, MUSTO, WARGO, WANSACZ,
FLAHERTY, TRELLO, GEISLER, MRS. GILLETTE, MR. WALSH,
MRS. KERNICK, MESSRS. NOYE, R. W. WILT, ZWIKL, GOODMAN,
MRKONIC, PETRARCA, KOLTER, A. K. HUTCHINSON, SALOOM, BRUNNER,
YAHNER, STOUT, GREEN, BRADLEY, McLANE, OLIVER, RUGGIERO,
BARBER, DiDONATO, KNEPPER, CESSAR, FEE, FISCHER, FISHER,
USTYNOSKI, GRIECO, TAYLOR AND GARZIA, FEBRUARY 19, 1975
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 3, 1975
AN ACT
1 Creating the Pennsylvania Medical Education Council;
2 establishing the powers and duties of such council; creating
3 Regional Advisory Boards to such council; regulating certain
4 appropriations to medical schools and schools of osteopathy;
5 and making an appropriation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short Title.--This act shall be known and may be
9 cited as the "Pennsylvania Medical Education Planning Act".
10 Section 2. Legislative Findings.--The Commonwealth of
11 Pennsylvania is fortunate in the number and quality of medical
12 schools located therein. However, there is no integrated system
13 of medical education covering the entire State which assures an
1 appropriate distribution of physicians throughout the
2 Commonwealth. The lack of such an integrated system results in a
3 loss to both the medical schools and the community at large. The
4 medical schools are unable to take advantage of the various
5 medical facilities and the talents of individuals located
6 throughout the Commonwealth. Many parts of the community at
7 large are without sufficient health care while those parts which
8 do have health care cannot take advantage of the advanced
9 knowledge available at the medical schools. It is essential that
10 an integrated Statewide medical education plan be developed for
11 the benefit of both the medical schools and the community at
12 large.
13 Section 3. Pennsylvania Medical Education Council.--There is
14 hereby created an independent council to be known as the
15 Pennsylvania Medical Education Council which shall consist of
16 the following persons: the Secretary of Health and the Secretary
17 of Education, or their respective designees; the deans of each <--
18 of the accredited medical schools and schools of osteopathy in
19 Pennsylvania; THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, OR THEIR DESIGNEES, <--
20 OF THE COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES IN PENNSYLVANIA OF WHICH EACH
21 ACCREDITED MEDICAL SCHOOL OR SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHY IS A PART; two
22 physicians licensed to practice in Pennsylvania who are
23 professionally qualified in a field of primary care appointed by
24 the Governor; one representative from a Pennsylvania teaching
25 hospital appointed by the Governor from a list of at least three
26 names submitted by the Council of Teaching Hospitals; two
27 members of the House of Representatives, one from each political
28 party, selected by the Speaker of the House; and two members of
29 the Senate, one from each political party selected by the
30 President pro tempore of the Senate. The council shall select a
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1 chairman from among its members. Members shall receive no
2 compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses
3 incurred. The Secretary of Health shall provide the necessary
4 administrative personnel and services. A quorum shall consist of
5 a majority of the total membership of the council and a majority
6 vote of those present shall be sufficient in the resolution of
7 any matter.
8 Section 4. Powers and Duties of the Council.--The council
9 shall have the following powers and duties:
10 (1) Develop an integrated Statewide medical education plan
11 which shall include the establishment of residency programs in
12 community hospitals by the medical schools with the cooperation
13 of the medical profession, hospitals, and clinics throughout the
14 Commonwealth.
15 (2) Divide the Commonwealth into regions and determine which
16 medical schools will operate in each region relative to the
17 implementation of such integrated Statewide medical plan.
18 (3) Give priority in the development of such an integrated
19 plan to those areas of the Commonwealth which have been
20 designated as medically deprived by the Secretary of Health.
21 (4) Cooperate with any agency or political subdivision of
22 the Commonwealth or any other public or private agency in the
23 development of such an integrated plan including the right to
24 enter into contracts with such agencies and to receive monetary
25 aid or grants.
26 (5) Cooperate with the office of the Governor or any
27 designated agency in the establishment of a Statewide
28 communication system which will enable the medical profession,
29 hospitals, and clinics throughout the Commonwealth to have a
30 direct tie line and instantaneous communication with computer
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1 banks and specialists at the medical schools and medical
2 centers.
3 (6) Contract with such consultants as may be deemed
4 necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
5 Section 5. Regional Advisory Boards.--In each region
6 established by the council pursuant to clause (2) of section 4
7 of this act, there is hereby created a Regional Advisory Board
8 to the Pennsylvania Medical Education Council. Each such board
9 shall consist of seven persons appointed by the Governor: Four
10 of whom shall be involved with the delivery of health care; and
11 three of whom shall not be involved with the delivery of health
12 care and shall be consumer representatives. Members of the board
13 shall serve for a four year term except those first appointed in
14 which case; three shall be appointed for a three year term; and
15 four shall be appointed for a four year term. Vacancies shall be
16 made in the manner of the original appointments for the
17 remainder of the unexpired term. The members of the board shall
18 also represent a geographical balance of the region. Members of
19 each board shall select a chairman from among its members and a
20 majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. A majority
21 vote of those present shall be sufficient in the resolution of
22 any matter. The advisory boards shall meet at least twice during
23 each year. Members shall receive no compensation but shall be
24 reimbursed for actual expenses incurred.
25 The function of each board shall be to act in an advisory
26 capacity to the council relative to the unique problems existing
27 in the board's region to enable the council to have the best
28 available information in the performance of the council's
29 duties.
30 Section 6. Regulation of Certain Appropriations to Medical
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1 Schools and Schools of Osteopathy.--Whenever any Commonwealth
2 appropriation is made to any medical school or school of
3 osteopathy on a student per capita basis, such appropriation
4 shall be expended in the following manner unless otherwise
5 specifically designated in the act making such appropriation:
6 (1) Eighty per cent of such appropriation may be used at the
7 discretion of the medical school or school of osteopathy;
8 (2) Twenty per cent of the first such appropriation made
9 after the effective date of this act shall be used by the
10 medical school or school of osteopathy to create a fund from
11 which loans are made to students. For each year thereafter, such
12 percentage of an appropriation shall first be used in an amount
13 which shall maintain such loan fund at an amount equal to twenty
14 per cent of the total appropriation for that year. Any amount
15 remaining after such maintenance of the loan fund may be used at
16 the discretion of the medical school or school of osteopathy.
17 This loan program shall be administered either by the medical
18 school or school of osteopathy, or in the alternative, the
19 medical school or school of osteopathy shall have the power to
20 enter into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Higher Education
21 Assistance Agency for the purpose of the administration of such
22 loan program. Such agreement may provide for the payment of
23 costs of administration to such agency from the loan fund. The
24 Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is hereby
25 authorized to enter into such agreements and to administer such
26 loan programs in accordance with the terms of such agreements
27 and the provisions of this act. Such loan program shall provide
28 that for each year a graduate practices in any area of the
29 Commonwealth designated as medically deprived by the Secretary
30 of Health twenty per cent of the total of such loan shall be
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1 forgiven.
2 Section 7. Appropriation.--The sum of $350,000, or as much
3 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the
4 Pennsylvania Medical Education Council for the purposes of this
5 act. Every year thereafter, the General Assembly shall
6 appropriate that amount of funds as it deems necessary to carry
7 out the purposes of this act.
8 Section 8. Effective Date.--This act shall take effect
9 immediately.
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