CHAPTER 58. COMPENSATION OF RESIDENT PHYSICIANS
EDUCATION CODETITLE 3. HIGHER EDUCATIONSUBTITLE A. HIGHER EDUCATION IN GENERALCHAPTER 58. COMPENSATION OF RESIDENT PHYSICIANSSec. 58.001. LEGISLATIVE FINDING AND INTENT. (a) The legislature finds that it will improve the quality of the delivery of medical care to the citizens of this state and, therefore, that it will be in the public interest of this state for the resident physicians being educated, trained, developed, and prepared for a career in medicine by the schools of medicine in The University of Texas System, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the Texas A & M University Medical Program, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth to be compensated by those schools while the resident physicians are undergoing education, training, development, and preparation. The legislature further finds that the delivery of quality medical care to the citizens of this state has been and will continue to be enhanced by the expansion of family practice residency programs as provided by Sections 61.501 through 61.505 of this code and intends that nothing in this chapter be interpreted or implemented in a manner that will deter the development or expansion of family practice residency programs or will deter the legislative goal of having at least 25 percent of the first-year residency positions devoted to family medicine.(b) Beginning September 1, 1981, and subject to the provisions of Section 58.003 of this code, each resident physician being educated, trained, developed, and prepared for a career in medicine by an accredited school of medicine in the schools listed in Subsection (a) of this section shall be compensated by that school while the person is undergoing education, training, development, and preparation at or under the direction and supervision of the school.
Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3245, ch. 855, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1981. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 408, Sec. 6, eff. Aug. 30, 1993.
Sec. 58.002. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this chapter:(1) "Resident physician" means a person who is appointed a resident physician by one of the schools of medicine listed in Section 58.001 of this code and who:(A) has received a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Baylor College of Medicine or from one of the schools listed in Section 58.001 of this code; or(B) is a citizen of Texas and has received a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from some other school of medicine that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or by the Bureau of Professional Education of the American Osteopathic Association.(2) "Primary teaching hospital" means a hospital at which one of the schools listed in Section 58.001 of this code educates and trains both resident physicians and undergraduate medical students.(3) "Compensation" includes stipends; payments, if any, for services rendered; and fringe benefits when applied to payments to or for the benefit of resident physicians.(b) A person may not be considered a resident physician for a period of time longer than is ordinarily and customarily required for a resident physician to complete a graduate medical specialty program approved by the Accrediting Council on Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association for the specialty in which the resident physician seeks certification as a diplomate and to obtain the certification from the appropriate board or agency approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association.(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (b) of this section, a person may not be considered a resident physician under this Act for a period of time longer than four years.(d) The total number of the first-year resident physicians compensated under this chapter and Sections 61.097 through 61.099 of this code may not exceed the combined total number of persons in the previous year's graduating classes of the schools listed in Section 58.001 of this code and the Baylor College of Medicine. Each school shall give priority consideration to applicants who demonstrate a willingness to practice in medically underserved areas of Texas.(e) It is the intent of this chapter that at least 50 percent of resident physicians shall be in the areas of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and emergency medicine, with 25 percent of those residents in family practice.
Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3245, ch. 855, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1981. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 991, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 28, 1989; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 965, Sec. 12, eff. June 16, 1995.
Sec. 58.003. AUTHORIZATION FOR LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS OF FUNDS; CONDITIONS REGARDING THOSE FUNDS. (a) Beginning September 1, 1981, each accredited school listed in Section 58.001 of this code is entitled to receive funds appropriated by the legislature in an amount not to exceed $15,000 in any fiscal year for each resident physician appointed by the school as a resident physician for that year. Money appropriated under this chapter may not be transferred from the resident physicians program.(b) If a resident physician under this chapter does not perform in that appointed capacity during an entire fiscal year, the compensation paid to the person by the school shall be reduced proportionately to cover only the part of the fiscal year during which the performance is actually rendered.(c) If any resident physician under this chapter is compensated by an agency or institution of the federal government or by any other agency or institution other than a primary teaching hospital for the person's performance as a resident physician, the compensation that would otherwise be paid to the person by the school shall be reduced by the amount of the compensation actually received by the person from the agency or institution. If a school under this chapter receives from an agency or institution of the federal government or from any other agency or institution other than a primary teaching hospital compensation for the performance of resident physicians' duties by any of the school's resident physicians to or for the benefit of the agency or institution, to the extent of the compensation actually received by the school, the school is prohibited from spending funds appropriated under this chapter that would otherwise be available to pay the same resident physicians for the performance of the same resident physician duties.(d) If a school covered by this chapter receives from the Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, a sum granted for the education, training, development, and preparation of the school's family practice resident physicians, to the extent of the sum actually received by the school, the school is prohibited from spending funds appropriated under this chapter that would otherwise be available to pay the same family practice resident physicians for the same education, training, development, and preparation.(e) To the extent that The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston receives legislative appropriations under this chapter for the education and training of resident physicians, that school may not receive legislative appropriations in any other state appropriation act for the education and training of the same resident physicians in the same fiscal year.
Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3245, ch. 855, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1981.
Sec. 58.004. CONTINGENT ARRANGEMENT IN THE EVENT OF INSUFFICIENT FUNDS. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, if at any time a school under this chapter determines that it does not have sufficient available funds from legislative appropriations and other sources to support adequately the full number of resident physicians that the school deems to be required in order to provide the delivery of the best possible medical care to the citizens of this state, the school may assign and place for education and training in any hospital or hospitals with which the school has a resident physician affiliation agreement any of its resident physicians that cannot be supported adequately from the funds available for that purpose. During the period for which a resident physician is assigned and placed in a hospital or hospitals under the terms of this section, the resident physician shall directly or indirectly receive all or the primary portion of his or her compensation from the hospital or hospitals just as has been ordinarily and customarily done before the adoption of this chapter. The exact method and manner of compensating the resident physician shall be set forth in the resident physician affiliation agreement entered into between the school and the hospital or hospitals.
Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3245, ch. 855, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1981.
Sec. 58.005. APPOINTMENT OF RESIDENT PHYSICIANS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, if at any time a school under this chapter determines that it cannot provide one of its primary teaching hospitals with resident physicians who qualify under Subdivision (1) of Subsection (a) of Section 58.002 of this code in sufficient quantity or kind to meet the standard that the school deems necessary in order to provide the delivery of the best possible medical care to the citizens of this state, until the school is able to provide the hospital with a sufficient quantity and kind of resident physicians who do qualify, the school may appoint, to be educated and trained in the hospital, resident physicians who are not citizens of Texas but otherwise qualify under Subdivision (1) of Subsection (a) of Section 58.002 and may compensate those resident physicians as if they did qualify under the provisions of that section.
Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3245, ch. 855, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1981.
Sec. 58.006. STATEWIDE PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAMS. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may contract with one or more organizations to operate the statewide preceptorship program in general internal medicine and the statewide preceptorship program in general pediatrics for medical students enrolled in Texas medical schools.(b) An organization eligible to receive funds under this subsection must:(1) qualify for exemption from federal income tax under Section 501, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section 501); or(2) be operated by a state accredited medical school as defined in Section 61.501(1).(c) Students eligible to participate in the preceptorship programs under this section must indicate an interest in a primary care career.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 518, Sec. 1, eff. June 12, 1995.
Sec. 58.007. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) Nothing in this section or Section 58.006 or 58.008 shall diminish or abolish the activities of the Family Practice Residency Advisory Committee established under Section 61.505. It is not the intent of this section to combine or assimilate advisory programs but only to add to and enhance the training of primary care physicians in Texas.(b)(1) The Primary Care Residency Advisory Committee is created and shall consist of 12 members as follows:(A) seven members shall be licensed physicians, one appointed by each of the following:(i) the Texas Medical Association;(ii) the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association;(iii) the Texas Academy of Family Physicians;(iv) the Texas Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians;(v) the Texas Society of Internal Medicine;(vi) the Texas Pediatric Society; and(vii) the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;(B) one member shall be appointed by the Texas Department of Rural Affairs;(C) one member shall be appointed by the Bureau of Community Oriented Primary Care at the Department of State Health Services; and(D) three members shall be members of the public, one appointed by each of the following:(i) the governor;(ii) the lieutenant governor; and(iii) the speaker of the house of representatives.(2) No individual who has a direct financial interest in primary care residency training programs shall be appointed to serve as a member of the advisory committee.(c) The terms of the office of each member shall be for three years, except for the initial term, which shall be designated in a manner approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in such a way that one-third of the members shall serve for one year, one-third for two years, and one-third for three years, and thereafter each member shall serve for a term of three years. Each member shall serve until the member's replacement has been appointed to the committee.(d) The members of the committee shall not be compensated for their service.(e) The committee shall meet at least annually and so often as requested by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or called into meeting by the committee chair.(f) The committee chair shall be elected by the members of the committee for a term of one year.(g) The committee shall review for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board applications for approval and funding of primary care residency training program expansion as described in Section 58.008 and related support programs, make recommendations to the board relating to the standards and criteria for approval of residency training and related support programs, and perform such other duties as may be directed by the board.(h) The committee shall review for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board applications for approval and funding of faculty enhancement for generalist physicians at Texas medical schools as described in Section 58.009, make recommendations to the board relating to the standards and criteria for approval of faculty enhancement awards, monitor compliance with the contractual conditions associated with faculty enhancement awards, and evaluate the success of the faculty enhancement program in reaching the goal of increasing the number of generalist physician faculty at Texas medical schools.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 518, Sec. 1, eff. June 12, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 940, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 1997; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1424, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 112, Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 58.008. PRIMARY CARE RESIDENCY PROGRAM EXPANSION. (a) Only residency positions in family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology shall be eligible for these funds.(b) The committee shall recommend to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board an allocation of new primary care residency positions that are to receive state support. The committee shall take into consideration in recommending an allocation among the four primary care specialties designated for expansion the following factors:(1) the current primary care specialties mix of Texas physicians in direct practice;(2) projections for the primary care specialties mix of Texas physicians in direct practice;(3) the current state-supported primary care positions;(4) geographic shortages for primary care physicians;(5) federally designated and state designated medically underserved areas;(6) the demographics of the Texas population; and(7) the infrastructure of existing residency programs.(c) Once funds are awarded to support a resident position of a particular residency program, the board shall continue to award funds to support that residency position for all three or four postgraduate years of the residency training curriculum until the resident physician appointed to that position has completed or left the program. The position would then be eligible for reallocation by the Primary Care Residency Advisory Committee.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 518, Sec. 1, eff. June 12, 1995.
Sec. 58.009. FACULTY ENHANCEMENT FUND FOR GENERALIST PHYSICIANS. (a) Only accredited medical schools identified in Section 61.501(1) shall be eligible to receive funds under this section.(b) Only full-time, clinical faculty positions in family practice, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics whose faculty rank is no greater than assistant professor shall be eligible for funds under this section.(c) The committee shall recommend to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board an allocation of generalist faculty positions that are to receive state support through the Faculty Enhancement Fund for Generalist Physicians. The committee shall take into consideration in recommending an allocation the following factors:(1) the faculty-student ratio in the generalist specialty at the applicant school;(2) the length of time a budgeted generalist faculty position has gone unfilled;(3) whether the position is a new generalist faculty position; and(4) other factors as determined by the committee.(d) Once funds are awarded to support a generalist faculty position at a particular medical school, the board shall continue to award funds to support that generalist faculty position for a period not to exceed one additional academic year. After that time, the medical school shall provide an amount equal to the annualized faculty enhancement award in its operating budget to maintain the level of compensation for the position after the grant period has ended.(e) The board may spend not more than 10 percent of the amounts appropriated for this program in fiscal year 1998, and not more than five percent of the amounts appropriated for this program in succeeding years, for administering the faculty enhancement program for generalist physicians.(f) The board may solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from public and private sources to comply with this section.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 940, Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 1997.
Sec. 58.010. STATEWIDE PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC HEALTH SETTINGS. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may contract with one or more organizations to operate a statewide preceptorship program in a public health setting for medical students enrolled in Texas medical schools.(b) An organization eligible to receive funds under this subsection must:(1) qualify for exemption from federal income tax under Section 501, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section 501); or(2) be operated by a state accredited medical school as defined in Section 61.501(1).(c) Students eligible to participate in the preceptorship programs under this section must indicate an interest in a career providing primary care.(d) The board may create and appoint an advisory committee to assist the board in the operation of the program.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 787, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Renumbered from Sec. 58.009 by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 19.01(13), eff. Sept. 1, 1999.