Recently we received a phone call from another licensure consulting company asking for our help in getting an applicant through licensure – I wanted to laugh, but didn’t and gave the young lady a few hints on when to call, how to send things, etc. but I ended our conversation by telling her that we, G&M are not miracle workers. Now we are pretty darn good at getting things through CAR at the Texas Medical Board but even we can’t overcome 3000 pieces of mail, emails that are over 45 days old, mail that even when it gets to an applicant’s file in CAR may sit for 2-3 weeks. I don’t think anyone could have imagined that adding the four license types that Senator Nelson and the Texas legislature did in 2015 would have this kind of effect – but it has truly crippled physician licensure. The only remedy that I see is a complete reorganization.

Have you tried to call the medical board and speak to someone about your license application or maybe you just have a question about how to get a license – WELL, they have been one super busy staff.  Fiscal year 2015 saw 5.377 physicians apply – a new record!  So, having said that if you are planning to apply anytime in the future you might want to contact us to help with your process – not only do we know the process most of it we are responsible for – and that can be good or bad, depending on your point of view.  Graph provided by the Texas Medical Association.

Except for one month in fiscal year 2015 the Texas Medical Board licensing staff saw record numbers.  Many still point to tort reform as the driver for the increase in physicians moving to the state, others point to the population growth in the state and still others link the increase to the economic growth in the healthcare sector. One very interesting article has been produced by the Texas Alliance for PatientAccess http://www.tapa.info/refuting-the-critics.html.  One part of the article holds some great truth –

ALLEGATION: Texas is not adding physicians in rural Texas any faster than we were during the liability crisis years.

THE TRUTH: False.

Rural Texas was losing physicians per population during the liability crisis years. Today, those numbers are on the upswing. Since the passage of reforms, fifty-nine rural counties have added at least one emergency medicine physician. Thirty-one rural counties have added an obstetrician. Twenty-four rural counties have added a cardiologist and seven have added an orthopedic surgeon. The rural gains are not simply a bi-product of population growth. For instance, forty rural counties that did not have a single emergency medicine physician in 2003 now do. Fifteen rural counties that lacked a cardiologist and thirteen counties that lacked an obstetrician now have one.

Take the time to read the entire article.

The 2015 Texas Legislature is now one for the books.  Some bills passing will be a huge benefit to physicians in Texas, some of the bills are just okay and sadly others never seemed to make it off the ground floor.  One of the best bills adds significant funding for GME – with new medical schools in Texas coming online very soon the only way to keep those Texas educated docs in the state was to increase funding and luckily the legislature agreed.  Another plus will happen in September 2016 when the DPS Controlled Substance registration will go bye bye.  I am sure that everyone will agree that it takes long enough to get a state license and then to have to wait on the DPS registration was just a bit much.  See Senate Bill 195 for more info.  On the not so okay side the bills to establish an interstate compact much like the nurses made it out of the House but never saw daylight in the Senate – this would have been a huge plus for physicians who are more mobile than ever.  And once again the session saw an exam attempts bill presented only to meet its death.

For TMAs synopsis of the session go to this link http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=33799#sthash.9NcSnMm1

To be honest the 84th session actually started over a month ago – but things are finally heating up with the House committee appointments finally in place.  Bills are being filed and some might be of special interest to the physician community.  One bill that is of great interest to me is SB 190, Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.  This is a long overdue regulation – the only issue is getting all other state medical boards to sign up.  HB179 addresses some concerns of physicians who have had a complaint lodged against with the board – this bill will require the board to provide the physician with “specific allegations” in regard to the complaint.  HB1508 provides reciprocity for certain physicians who are board certified in certain primary care specialties.  We’ll keep you posted as the session goes on – it’s gonna be a crazy session.

Happy Holidays from Garanflo & Meyer.  2014 has been an amazing year for G&M as we have been blessed to have assisted so many physicians and physician assistants with obtaining licensure in Texas. Looking forward to 2015 which looks to be a busy legislative session for the Texas Medical Board. On the horizon are the possibilities of the Licensure and PRC divisions absorbing other small health related agencies. At least one bill has been filed aimed at the investigative arm of the TMB, specifically regarding complaints.  HB179 filed by Zedler would require the TMB staff to change the language of notifications to licensees regarding complaints.  SB219 filed by Schwertner adds some reuquirements to Telemedicine.  Keep yourself up to date with legislative happenings by subscribing to Texas Legislature Online http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

Lots of information here on prescribing, rule changes and Ebola alerts – give it a look.

http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/dl/834839F3-5837-7A6B-3B40-4775F29649E6

The Licensure Committee of the Texas Medical Board instructed board staff during its February 2014 to annotate the Ross University School of Medicine entry on the Substantial Equivalence list to alert potential students, current students and graduates that there was concern in regard to the clinical clerkship curriculum. This action came about after a significant number of Ross graduates had been determined ineligible due to their clinical education.