Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's authority to employ certain personnel without regard to civil service or classification laws, rules, or regulations to employ physicians on a without compensation basis in any practice area or specialty for which: (1) the average waiting time for veterans seeking an appointment with a physician exceeds the VA's waiting time goals, or (2) the VA facility where the physician will be employed has demonstrated staffing shortages.
Requires each VA medical facility to have a volunteer coordinator who: (1) seeks to establish relationships with medical associations serving the area, (2) recruits physicians for uncompensated employment at the facility, and (3) serves as the initial point of contact for physicians seeking uncompensated employment at the facility.
Conditions an uncompensated physician's receipt of a credential or privilege to practice medicine in a VA facility on the physician's commitment to serve at least 40 hours in the facility during the ensuing 12-month period.
Requires the Secretary to decide whether to grant an uncompensated physician's request for a credential or privilege to practice medicine in the VA facility within 60 days.
Requires the director of a VA medical facility to approve, and accept the uncompensated services of, any physician who has made the requisite service commitment and receives a credential or privilege to practice medicine in such facility.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5686 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5686
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Physician
Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to seek to employ physicians at
the Department of Veterans Affairs on a without compensation basis in
practice areas and specialties with staffing shortages and long
appointment waiting times.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 12, 2014
Mr. Culberson (for himself and Mr. O'Rourke) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Physician
Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to seek to employ physicians at
the Department of Veterans Affairs on a without compensation basis in
practice areas and specialties with staffing shortages and long
appointment waiting times.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Physician Ambassadors Helping
Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. PHYSICIAN AMBASSADORS HELPING VETERANS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 7405 the following
new section:
``Sec. 7405A. Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall seek to use the authority
under section 7405 of this title to employ physicians on a without
compensation basis in any practice area or speciality for which--
``(1) the average waiting time for veterans seeking an
appointment with a physician in such practice area or specialty
exceeds the waiting time goals established by the Department;
or
``(2) the Department facility where the physician will be
employed has demonstrated staffing shortages, as determined by
the Secretary.
``(b) Volunteer Coordinators.--There shall be in each medical
facility of the Department a volunteer coordinator. The volunteer
coordinator for a medical facility shall--
``(1) seek to establish relationships with medical
associations serving the area where the facility is located;
``(2) recruit physicians for employment on a without
compensation basis in the facility; and
``(3) serve as the initial point of contact for physicians
seeking employment on a without compensation basis in the
facility.
``(c) Qualifications.--A physician employed on a without
compensation basis shall agree, as a condition of being granted a
credential or privilege to practice medicine in a facility of the
Department, to commit to serving a minimum of 40 hours in the facility
during the 12-month period beginning on the date on which such
credential or privilege is granted.
``(d) Credentialing Process.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure that
each physician who seeks employment at the Department on a without
compensation basis receives a credential or privilege to practice
medicine in the Department, or a decision that such a credential or
privilege will not be granted, by not later than 60 days after the date
on which the physician requests such credential or privilege.
``(2) The director of a medical facility of the Department shall
approve, and accept the services of, any physician who meets the
qualifications under subsection (c) and receives a credential or
privilege to practice medicine in the facility under paragraph (1).
``(e) Annual Report.--Not later than March 31 of each year, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and the
Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives
a report on physicians employed on a without compensation basis at the
Department. Each such report shall include, for the year preceding the
year during which the report is submitted, each of the following:
``(1) The number of physicians employed on a without
compensation basis by the Department in each of the Veterans
Integrated Service Networks.
``(2) Information about staffing levels and appointment
waiting times for facilities located in each such Veterans
Integrated Service Networks.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7405 the following new item:
``7405A. Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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