1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to health; establishing a physician 
  1.3             substitute demonstration project for rural 
  1.4             communities; appropriating money; proposing coding for 
  1.5             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 137.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [137.42] [PHYSICIAN SUBSTITUTE DEMONSTRATION 
  1.8   PROJECT.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The board of regents, 
  1.10  through the University of Minnesota academic health center, is 
  1.11  requested to establish and administer a physician substitute 
  1.12  (locum tenens and emergency room coverage) demonstration project 
  1.13  at up to four rural demonstration sites within the state.  The 
  1.14  academic health center is requested to coordinate the 
  1.15  administration of the project with the commissioner of health 
  1.16  and the office of rural health and primary health care. 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [PROJECT ACTIVITIES.] The project must: 
  1.18     (1) encourage physicians to serve as substitute physicians 
  1.19  for the demonstration sites; 
  1.20     (2) provide a central register of physicians interested in 
  1.21  serving as physician substitutes at the demonstration sites; 
  1.22     (3) provide a referral service for requests from 
  1.23  demonstration sites for physician substitutes; and 
  1.24     (4) provide physician substitute services at rates that 
  1.25  reflect the administrative savings resulting from centralized 
  2.1   referral and credentialing. 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [CREDENTIALING; PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.] The 
  2.3   academic health center is requested to credential persons 
  2.4   desiring to serve as physician substitutes.  The academic health 
  2.5   center may employ physician substitutes serving in the 
  2.6   demonstration project as temporary clinical faculty and may 
  2.7   provide physician substitutes with additional opportunities for 
  2.8   professional education and interaction. 
  2.9      Subd. 4.  [DEMONSTRATION SITES.] The academic health center 
  2.10  is requested to designate up to four rural communities as 
  2.11  demonstration sites for the project.  The academic health center 
  2.12  is requested to choose sites based on a community's need for 
  2.13  physician substitute services and the willingness of the 
  2.14  community to work cooperatively with the academic health center 
  2.15  and participate in the demonstration project evaluation. 
  2.16     Subd. 5.  [EVALUATION.] The commissioner of health, through 
  2.17  the office of rural health and primary care, shall evaluate the 
  2.18  demonstration project and present an evaluation report to the 
  2.19  legislature by January 15, 1996.  The commissioner may contract 
  2.20  with a nonprofit rural health policy organization to evaluate 
  2.21  the demonstration project.  The evaluation must identify any 
  2.22  modifications necessary to improve the effectiveness of the 
  2.23  project.  The evaluation must also include a recommendation on 
  2.24  whether the demonstration project should be extended to other 
  2.25  areas of the state. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.27     (a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.28  board of regents of the University of Minnesota for the biennium 
  2.29  ending June 30, 1997, for costs incurred by the academic health 
  2.30  center in credentialing physician substitutes and employing 
  2.31  physician substitutes as temporary clinical faculty under 
  2.32  section 137.42. 
  2.33     (b) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.34  commissioner of health for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, to 
  2.35  evaluate the physician substitute demonstration project 
  2.36  established under section 137.42.