The Florida Senate

381.0403  The Community Hospital Education Act.--

(1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section shall be known and cited as "The Community Hospital Education Act."

(2)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--

(a)  It is the intent of the Legislature that health care services for the citizens of this state be upgraded and that a program for continuing these services be maintained through a plan for community medical education. The program is intended to provide additional outpatient and inpatient services, a continuing supply of highly trained physicians, and graduate medical education.

(b)  The Legislature further acknowledges the critical need for increased numbers of family physicians to provide the necessary current and projected health and medical services. In order to meet both present and anticipated needs, the Legislature supports an expansion in the number of family practice residency positions. The Legislature intends that the funding for graduate education in family practice be maintained at a minimum of $10,000 per resident per year. Should funding for this act remain constant or be reduced, it is intended that all programs funded by this act be maintained or reduced proportionately.

(3)  PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL EDUCATION; STATE AND LOCAL PLANNING.--

(a)  There is established under the Board of Regents a program for statewide medical education. It is intended that continuing medical education programs for interns and residents be established on a statewide basis. The program shall provide financial support for interns and residents based on policies recommended and approved by the Community Hospital Education Council, herein established, and the Board of Regents.

(b)  Medical institutions throughout the state may apply to the Community Hospital Education Council for grants-in-aid for financial support of their approved programs. Recommendations for funding of approved programs shall be forwarded to the Board of Regents.

(c)  The program shall provide a plan for community clinical teaching and training with the cooperation of the medical profession, hospitals, and clinics. The plan shall also include formal teaching opportunities for intern and resident training. In addition, the plan shall establish an off-campus medical faculty with university faculty review to be located throughout the state in local communities.

(4)  FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENCIES.--In addition to the programs established in subsection (3), the Community Hospital Education Council and the Board of Regents shall establish an ongoing statewide program of family practice residencies. The administration of this program shall be in the manner described in this section.

(5)  COUNCIL AND DIRECTOR.--

(a)  There is established the Community Hospital Education Council, hereinafter referred to as the council, which shall consist of eleven members, as follows:

1.  Seven members must be program directors of accredited graduate medical education programs or practicing physicians who have faculty appointments in accredited graduate medical education programs. Six of these members must be board certified or board eligible in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatry, respectively, and licensed pursuant to chapter 458. No more than one of these members may be appointed from any one specialty. One member must be licensed pursuant to chapter 459.

2.  One member must be a representative of the administration of a hospital with an approved community hospital medical education program;

3.  One member must be the dean of a medical school in this state; and

4.  Two members must be consumer representatives.

All of the members shall be appointed by the Governor for terms of 4 years each.

(b)  Council membership shall cease when a member's representative status no longer exists. Members of similar representative status shall be appointed to replace retiring or resigning members of the council.

(c)  The Chancellor of the State University System shall designate an administrator to serve as staff director. The council shall elect a chair from among its membership. Such other personnel as may be necessary to carry out the program shall be employed as authorized by the Board of Regents.

(6)  BOARD OF REGENTS; STANDARDS.--

(a)  The Board of Regents, with recommendations from the council, shall establish standards and policies for the use and expenditure of medical education funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (7) for a program of community hospital education. The board shall establish requirements for hospitals to be qualified for participation in the program which shall include, but not be limited to:

1.  Submission of an educational plan and a training schedule.

2.  A determination by the council to ascertain that each portion of the program of the hospital provides a high degree of academic excellence and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education of the American Medical Association or is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.

3.  Supervision of the educational program of the hospital by a physician who is not the hospital administrator.

(b)  The Board of Regents shall periodically review the educational program provided by a participating hospital to assure that the program includes a reasonable amount of both formal and practical training and that the formal sessions are presented as scheduled in the plan submitted by each hospital.

(7)  MATCHING FUNDS.--State funds shall be used to match funds from any local governmental or hospital source. The state shall provide up to 50 percent of the funds, and the community hospital medical education program shall provide the remainder. However, except for fixed capital outlay, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any program authorized under the provisions of subsection (4) for the first 3 years after such program is in operation.

History.--s. 1, ch. 71-311; ss. 1-4, ch. 72-137; s. 1, ch. 74-135; s. 1, ch. 74-358; s. 1, ch. 76-63; s. 1, ch. 82-46; s. 45, ch. 82-241; s. 2, ch. 83-265; s. 6, ch. 84-94; s. 2, ch. 88-291; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 91-129; s. 50, ch. 91-297; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 25, ch. 92-173; s. 658, ch. 95-148; s. 29, ch. 99-5.

Note.--Former s. 381.503.