| Summary |
Section 1 of the bill makes legislative declarations and findings
regarding the shortage of health-care providers in the state, the presence
of qualified, internationally trained medical professionals in the state, the
ability of those professionals to assist the state in addressing health-care
workforce needs, the barriers to entry into the health-care workforce these
professionals face, and the need to reduce those barriers to facilitate the
integration of these professionals into the state's health-care workforce.
Section 2 establishes the following 2 programs in the department
of labor and employment (CDLE) to assist international medical
graduates (IMGs) seeking to integrate into the state's health-care
workforce:
• The IMG assistance program, the purpose of which is to
provide direct services to IMGs, including a review of an
IMG's education, training, and experience to recommend
appropriate next steps for integrating IMGs into the state's
health-care workforce; technical support through the
credential evaluation process; and scholarships to assist in
defraying the medical licensure process; and
• The clinical readiness program, the purpose of which is to
provide curriculum for and assessments of IMGs to help
them build the skills necessary to enter a medical residency
program.
Section 2 also directs the executive director of CDLE to include
in its annual report to the general assembly pursuant to the State
Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART)
Government Act information about the IMG assistance program, the
clinical readiness program, and any progress made in addressing barriers
IMGs face in securing positions in medical residency programs.
Section 3 authorizes the executive director of the department of
regulatory agencies (DORA), subject to available funding, to award
funding to medical residency programs to provide additional residency
positions dedicated to qualified IMGs and directs the executive director
of DORA to report on any funding awarded for this purpose as part of
DORA's annual report to the general assembly pursuant to the State
Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART)
Government Act.
With regard to requirements for licensure under the Colorado
Medical Practice Act (act):
• Section 4 defines IMG for purposes of the act;
• Section 5 reduces the length of postgraduate clinical
training that an IMG must complete to qualify for a
medical license from up to 3 years to one year; and
• Section 6 allows an IMG to obtain a reentry license if the
IMG has a current or expired international medical license
and meets Colorado medical board-specified qualifications
and requirements, including an assessment of the IMG's
competency to practice.
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