A3834

An Act concerning continuing education for pediatricians and amending P.L.2001, c.307.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 10 of P.L.2001, c.307 (C.45:9-7.1) is amended to read as follows:

10. a. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of subsection d. of this section, the State Board of Medical Examiners shall require each person licensed as a physician, as a condition for biennial registration pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.236 (C.45:9-6.1), or as a podiatrist, as a condition for biennial registration pursuant to R.S.45:5-9, to complete a requisite number of credits of continuing medical education, all of which shall be in Category I or Category II as defined in subsection i. of this section. The board shall include educational programs or topics related to suicide prevention in the core requirements for continuing medical education for physicians who are pediatricians and physicians who regularly provide pediatric care services.

b. The board shall:

(1) Establish standards for continuing medical education, including the subject matter and content of courses of study;

(2) Accredit education programs offering credit toward continuing medical education requirements or recognize national or State organizations that may accredit education programs;

(3) Allow satisfaction of continuing medical education requirements through equivalent educational programs, such as participation in accredited graduate medical education programs, examinations, papers, publications, scientific presentations, teaching and research appointments, and scientific exhibits, and establish procedures for the issuance of credit upon satisfactory proof of attainment of these equivalent educational programs;

(4) Create an advisory committee to be comprised of at least five members, including representatives of the Medical Society of New Jersey, the Academy of Medicine of New Jersey, the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, the New Jersey Podiatric Medical Society, and such other professional societies and associations as the board may identify, to provide guidance to the board in discharging its responsibilities pursuant to this section; and

(5) Establish, through the promulgation of regulations, any specific courses or topics which, on the recommendation of the advisory committee created pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection and in the discretion of the board, are to be required, and designate which are the core requirements for continuing medical education, including the number of required hours, subject matter, and content of courses of study.

c. Each hour of an educational course or program shall be equivalent to one credit of continuing medical education.

d. (1) The board may, in its discretion, waive requirements for continuing medical education on an individual basis for reasons of hardship such as illness or disability, retirement of license, or other good cause. A waiver shall apply only to the current biennial renewal period at the time of board issuance.

(2) The board may offset up to 10 percent of the requisite number of credits for continuing medical education biennially by the number of hours of volunteer medical services rendered by licensees, at the rate of one half of one credit of continuing medical education for each hour of volunteer medical service rendered, provided that such licensees shall be required to complete at least the core requirements established pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection b. of this section. The board may reduce, in part, an application by a licensee to offset credits of continuing medical education pursuant to this paragraph if the board finds, in its discretion, that the applicant requires such continuing medical education in order to maintain or restore professional competence, or may deny all such applications if the board finds that continuing medical education above the core requirements is necessary because of developments in science or technology. The board may also, in its discretion, and for good cause, notify a licensee that the licensee is ineligible to offset credits of continuing medical education pursuant to this paragraph for any other reason established by regulation by the board.

e. The board shall not require completion of continuing medical education credits for any registration period commencing within 12 months of the effective date of this section.

f. The board shall require completion of medical education credits on a pro-rated basis for any registration period commencing more than 12 months but less than 24 months from the effective date of this section.

g. The board shall require new licensees to successfully complete, within 24 months of becoming licensed, an orientation course, in those topics identified by the board through regulation, conducted by an organization recognized by the board.

h. The board shall not require a new licensee to complete required continuing medical education credits, other than the orientation course described in subsection g. of this section, for any registration period commencing within 12 months of the licensee's participation in and completion of an accredited graduate medical education program.

i. As used in this section:

"Category I and Category II" means those categories of medical education courses recognized by the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, or other comparable organizations recognized by the board;

"Core requirements" means the continuing medical education determined by the board to be necessary to maintain currency in professional knowledge and skills in order to deliver competent care to patients; and

"Volunteer medical services" means medical care provided without charge to low-income patients for health care services for which the patient is not covered by any public or private third party payer, in accordance with such standards, procedures, requirements, and limitations as are established by the board.

(cf: P.L.2010, c.89, s.1)

2. This act shall take effect on the 365th day following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill, which will be known as “The Child and Family Suicide Prevention Act,” requires the State Board of Medical Examiners to include educational programs or topics related to suicide prevention in the continuing medical education requirements for physicians who are pediatricians and physicians who regularly provide pediatric care services.

Currently, all physicians and podiatrists are required to complete a requisite number of continuing medical education credits as part of the biennial registration process. The Board establishes by regulation the number of required hours, subject matter, and content of courses of study, including the core requirements it has determined are necessary to maintain currency in professional knowledge and skills in order to deliver competent care to patients. Although licensees are able to offset up to 10 percent of their continuing medical education credit requirements by providing volunteer medical services, the core requirements are not subject to this offset and must be completed.

Under the bill, pediatricians would be required to attend courses concerning suicide prevention in addition to completing any other continuing medical education requirements generally applicable to physicians. The bill does not require the Board to increase the requisite number of continuing medical education credits required for pediatricians or otherwise revise the current continuing medical education requirements for any other professional.