,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #edih ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #af1 #bjad ,mr4 ,sarbanes introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to establish a demonstration program to facilitate physician reentry into clinical practice to provide primary health services4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,primary ,care ,physician ,reentry ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds as follows3 7#a7 ,according to the ,association of ,american ,medical ,colleges-- 7,a7 the shortage of primary care physicians will reach #de1jjj by the year #bjbj1 as fewer than #bj percent of medical students choose to enter primary care medicine2 and 7,b7 the overall shortage of physicians in the ,united ,states is expected to surpass #acj1jjj by #bjbe4 7#b7 ,medical schools in the ,united ,states train only approximately #af1jjj new physicians every year4 7#c7 ,the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services estimates that the ,united ,states needs at least #af1jjj more primary care physicians4 7#d7 ,according to a survey of #a1fjj pediatricians over the age of #ej conducted by the ,association of ,american ,medical ,colleges and the ,american ,academy of ,pediatrics1 #bb percent of female pediatricians took extended leave 7#f months or more7 from medicine1 compared to only #f4e percent of male pediatricians4 ,seventy-one percent of the female pediatricians who took extended leave did so to care for a child or family member4 #c4 ,reentry program for physicians 7a7 ,activities of the ,secretary 7#a7 ,establishment of demonstration program ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary7 shall establish a demonstration program to assist the development of innovative programs that facilitate physician reentry into clinical practice to provide primary health services4 ,under such demonstration program1 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 award one grant1 on a competitive basis1 to an eligible entity described in subsection 7b7 in each of the #aj regions served by a regional office of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services to carry out physician reentry projects to assist reentering physicians participating in such projects through any of the activities described in subsection 7d72 and 7,b7 in consultation with key stakeholders and subject to paragraph 7#b77;,b71 carry out the administrative activities described in paragraph 7#b77;,a74 7#b7 ,administrative activities 7,a7 ,in general ,for purposes of paragraph 7#a77;,b71 the administrative activities described in this subparagraph are the following3 7i7 ,conduct a national needs assessment with regard to the supply of physicians who provide primary health services1 using1 to the extent feasible1 information collected for use in other similar completed or forthcoming studies1 such as studies conducted by the ,agency for ,healthcare ,research and ,quality and the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration4 7ii7 ,develop a database that contains a directory of programs that help physicians reenter clinical practice4 7iii7 ,disseminate evidence-based assessments and evaluation tools as such assessments and tools become available to measure the basic core competencies of physicians reentering clinical practice that are consistent with the guidelines published by the ,federation of ,state ,medical ,boards for such physicians4 7iv7 ,assist ,state regulatory authorities and hospital credentialing committees to structure requirements for physicians to return to clinical practice in a manner that ensures patient safety while addressing the burdens on such reentering physicians4 7,b7 ,limitation ,the ,secretary shall use not more than #ae percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section to carry out the activities described in subparagraph 7,a74 7b7 ,eligible entities ,entities eligible to receive a grant under this section are the following3 7#a7 ,a ,state4 7#b7 ,a hospital4 7#c7 ,an academic medical center4 7#d7 ,a medical school4 7#e7 ,a health center 7as defined in section #ccj7;a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b7a7774 7#f7 ,a teaching health center4 7#g7 ,a non-profit organization with a demonstrated history or expertise in providing physician education and with the ability to offer programs specifically targeted at reentering physicians4 7c7 ,application ,in order to receive a grant under this section1 an eligible entity shall submit to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7d7 ,uses of ,funds ,an eligible entity that receives funds under this section shall use such funds to carry out a physician reentry project to assist reentering physicians participating in the project through any of the following activities3 7#a7 ,training such reentering physicians to reenter clinical practice4 7#b7 ,paying credentialing fees and other fees that are necessary for such reentering physicians to reenter clinical practice4 7#c7 ,paying the salaries of such reentering physicians who are so eligible to reenter clinical practice during the period for which such physicians provide primary health services at a center described in subsection 7e77#a74 7#d7 ,providing loan repayment assistance and other financial assistance1 including scholarships and grants for education and training1 to such reentering physicians4 7e7 ,requirements of reentry physicians ,to participate in projects ,to be eligible to participate in a physician reentry project carried out by an eligible entity under this section1 a reentering physician shall provide assurances satisfactory to the ,secretary that the physician will comply with the following3 7#a7 ,service locations ,the reentering physician shall provide primary health services at-- 7,a7 a health center 7as defined in section #ccj7;a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b7a7772 7,b7 a ,veterans ,administration ,medical ,center if the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs certifies that there is a shortage of physicians at such medical center2 or 7,c7 a school-based health center 7as defined in section #baaj7;c77#i7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;jj7c77#i7774 7#b7 ,length of service ,the reentering physician shall provide such services at such a center1 consistent with paragraph 7#a71 for not less than #b years4 7f7 ,liability protections ,for purposes of section #bbd of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bcc71 a reentering physician participating in a physician reentry project under this section shall be deemed to be an employee of the ,public ,health ,service working within the scope of such employment with respect to primary health services provided by such reentering physician at a center described in subsection 7e77#a7 under the terms of such participation in such project4 ,the remedy against the ,united ,states for a physician described in paragraph 7#b7 who is deemed to be an employee of the ,public ,health ,service pursuant to the previous sentence shall be exclusive of any other civil action or proceeding to the same extent as the remedy against the ,united ,states is exclusive pursuant to subsection 7a7 of such section4 7g7 ,annual review and report ,for any year during which the demonstration program under this section is carried out1 the ,secretary shall conduct a review and comprehensive evaluation of such program and shall prepare and submit to ,congress a report assessing such program1 including an assessment of the performance of the reentering physicians who participate in physician reentry projects under such program4 7h7 ,reentering physicians 7#a7 ,definition ,subject to paragraph 7#b71 for purposes of this section1 the term reentering physician means an individual-- 7,a7 who is a doctor of medicine2 7,b7 who received training in primary care or primary health services1 including family medicine1 internal medicine1 pediatrics1 obstetrics and gynecology1 dentistry1 and mental health4 7,c7 who was previously 7and may currently be7 legally authorized to practice medicine and surgery by a ,state2 7,d7 who previously engaged in the clinical practice of medicine1 but who is not currently engaged in the clinical practice of medicine and has not been engaged in such practice for a period of #b years or such longer period determined to be sufficient by the ,secretary2 and 7,e7 who provides assurances satisfactory to the ,secretary and the respective ,state licensing board that the individual will return to clinical practice in the discipline in which such individual was trained or certified1 including1 if applicable1 by regaining necessary training and certification for legal authorization to practice medicine and surgery by a ,state4 7#b7 ,exclusions ,for purposes of this section1 the term reentering physician does not include an individual if-- 7,a7 such individual has failed to complete an obligation to provide health care services under a ,federal1 ,state1 or local program 7including any period of obligated service under subpart ,,iii of part ,d of title ,,iii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bedl et seq4772 7,b7 a final adverse action regarding such individual has been reported to the data collection program under section #aabh;,e of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;a-#g;e72 or 7,c7 the individual has a debt due to the ,united ,states4 7i7 ,primary health services defined ,for purposes of this section1 the term primary health services has the meaning given such term in section #cca7;a77#c7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;d7a77#c774 7j7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjae4