A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing the importance of having a physician present in every emergency department and the critical need for improving rural health care.

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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing the importance of having a 1
physician present in every emergency department and the critical need for improving 2
rural health care. 3
WHEREAS, patients routinely present to emergency departments with acute and 4
potentially life-threatening injuries and illnesses; and 5
WHEREAS, Level IV trauma centers are specialized emergency departments 6
equipped to care for patients suffering traumatic conditions such as crashes, gunshot 7
wounds, severe burns, and blunt force traumas; and 8
WHEREAS, physicians complete 12,000 to 16,000 hours of clinical education and 9
training during four years of medical school and three to seven years of medical 10
residency allowing the development of clinical judgment, medical acumen, and decision -11
making skills; and 12
WHEREAS, immediate evaluation and treatment are critical and only physicians 13
have the clinical expertise needed to quickly assess and evaluate a patient's condi tion or 14
injury, initiate on-site treatment, and stabilize the patient for transfer when necessary; and 15
WHEREAS, advanced practice providers such as advanced practice registered 16
nurses and physician assistants complete only a fraction of the education of a physician, 17
neither completes a residency, and less than 20 percent have any specialty certification; 18
and 19
WHEREAS, advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants are highly 20
skilled and valued members of emergency department physician -led collaborative teams; 21
and 22
WHEREAS, the American Medical Association's policy is that emergency 23
departments should be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by a qualified 24
physician whose primary duty is to provide care in that emergency department; and 25
WHEREAS, Kentucky ranks 40th in the nation in the number of primary care 26
physicians per 100,000 people, and only 25 percent of Kentucky physicians practice in 27
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rural counties; and 1
WHEREAS, physician recruitment efforts should be a top priority in support of 2
rural health care; and 3
WHEREAS, area health education centers should be expanded to encourage and 4
support students’ education in health care fields; and 5
WHEREAS, work with state and federal partners could increase graduate medical 6
education slots; and 7
WHEREAS, having a physician present in every emergency department is an 8
investment in rural health care and rural communities; and 9
WHEREAS, even in remote rural locations, a physician's emergency department 10
presence ensures essential, expert care for the safety of all citizens of the Commonwealth; 11
NOW, THEREFORE, 12
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 13
Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein: 14
Section 1. The General Assembly recognizes the importance of having a 15
physician present in every emergency department and the critical need for improving 16
rural health care. 17
Section 2. The General Assembly is committed to suppor ting physician 18
education and recruitment efforts as a top priority to investing in quality rural health care. 19
Section 3. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is directed to transmit a 20
copy of this Resolution to Representative Mark Hart. 21