Wyoming state hospital psychiatrists-recruitment.

WORKING DRAFT
2006
STATE OF
WYOMING
06LSO-0220

SENATE FILE
NO.
SF0028

Wyoming
state hospital psychiatrists-recruitment.

Sponsored by:
Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the department of health; authorizing the Wyoming state hospital, with assistance from the office of rural health, to recruit and hire psychiatrists as specified; authorizing educational loan forgiveness; authorizing the office of rural health to administer the loan forgiveness program; requiring rulemaking; conforming a provision; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
125 is created to read:

9
‑
2
‑
125.

Psychiatrist loan repayment program.

(a)

The
Wyoming
state hospital is authorized, with assistance from the office of rural health, to hire and enter into agreements with psychiatrists who have graduated from accredited residency programs to provide health care in this state. A psychiatrist hired under this section shall be an employee of the
Wyoming
state hospital. The agreement between the state hospital and the psychiatrist shall:

(i)

Provide for the psychiatrist to practice psychiatric medicine in a community of the state as directed by the state hospital. A psychiatrist shall agree to provide psychiatric medical care for the period of the contract in underserved areas of the state to patients in need of acute psychiatric care which the psychiatrist is qualified to provide. The state hospital shall determine which areas of the state are underserved;

(ii)

Provide that the psychiatrist shall be repaid up to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) of the amount of outstanding educational loans the psychiatrist has acquired after completing undergraduate programs and as a direct result of medical school training in exchange for practicing his profession under the terms of this section;

(iii)

Require the psychiatrist to practice for a minimum of four (4) years under the agreement;

(iv)

Contain other provisions the state hospital deems necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this section.

(b)

The
Wyoming
state hospital shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. In carrying out this section the state hospital shall assess health care needs of the state by geographic areas and practice specialties and shall prioritize and enter into agreements under this section accordingly.

Section 2.

W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
117(a)(v) is amended to read:

9
‑
2
‑
117.

Office of rural health care created; duties.

(a)

The office of rural health care is created within the department of health. The office shall:

(v)

Administer the loan repayment programs created by W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
118
,

and
9
‑
2
‑
119
and 9
‑
2
‑
125
;

Section 3.

(a)

There is appropriated from the general fund to the department of health for the biennium beginning July 1, 2006, three million two hundred fifty-five thousand dollars ($3,255,000.00), or as much thereof as necessary, to recruit, hire and pay salaries for not more than seven
(7)
psychiatrists under this act, to be expended as follows:

(i)

One hundred five thousand dollars ($105,000.00) for recruitment and relocation expenses;

(ii)

Two million four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,450,000.00) for salaries; and

(i
i
i)

Seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000.00) for the educational loan forgiveness program authorized by this act.

(b)

The department of health is authorized seven (7) additional full-time equivalent positions to
work as
psychiatrists for the
Wyoming
state hospital under this act.

Section 4.
This act is effective July 1, 2006.

(END)

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SF0028