Colorado § 8-87-103 - Clinical readiness program - creation - administration - required components - participant qualifications - report.

§ 8-87-103. Clinical readiness program - creation - administration - required components - participant qualifications - report.

(1) The clinical readiness program is established in the department to assist IMGs admitted to the clinical program in building the skills necessary to become successful residents in the United States medical system. By January 1, 2023, the executive director shall contract with a Colorado-based medical school or ACGME-accredited residency program to serve as the program administrator responsible for developing, implementing, and administering the clinical program. The executive director shall comply with the "Procurement Code", articles 101 to 112 of title 24, in selecting and contracting with a Colorado medical school or residency program to serve as the program administrator.

(2) (a) The program administrator must develop and implement the clinical program by January 1, 2024. In developing and implementing the clinical program, the program administrator may consult and coordinate with stakeholders, including representatives from:

(I) State agencies, including:

(A) The Colorado medical board;

(B) The department of regulatory agencies;

(C) The department of higher education;

(D) The department of labor and employment;

(E) The department of public health and environment;

(F) The department of health care policy and financing; and

(G) The office of new Americans created in section 8-3.7-103;

(II) The health-care industry, including:

(A) Hospitals;

(B) Community providers; and

(C) Medical residency programs;

(III) Community-based organizations, including a community-based organization serving immigrants and refugees;

(IV) Higher education institutions; and

(V) The IMG community.

(b) The clinical program must include at least the following elements:

(I) A mechanism for processing and assessing program applications;

(II) Program curriculum, including curriculum:

(A) Pertaining to the practice of one or more primary care specialties; and

(B) That provides inpatient and outpatient training opportunities combined with community and classroom-based components to prepare program participants to match into and succeed in a United States residency program; and

(III) An assessment system to assess the clinical readiness of program participants to serve in a United States residency program, including clinical readiness for the practice of one or more primary care specialties and additional assessments as resources are available.

(3) (a) The program administrator shall designate a program director, who must be a physician licensed to practice medicine in this state.

(b) The program director shall:

(I) Develop an operating plan and budget for the clinical program;

(II) Develop and implement the curriculum for and assessments of program participants for clinical readiness, except as provided in subsection (3)(c) of this section;

(III) Work with residency programs in the state to address barriers IMGs face in securing residency positions in the state, including evaluating other methods for testing an IMG's clinical readiness, exploring alternatives to the requirement that an applicant for a residency position be a recent graduate of medical school, and developing rigorous clinical assessments and opportunities for IMGs to obtain in-depth clinical experience in the United States; and

(IV) Make reports and recommendations as required by subsection (7) of this section.

(c) The program director may contract with an independent entity or a state agency to conduct assessments of the clinical readiness of program participants.

(4) To qualify to participate in the clinical program, an applicant must:

(a) Be an IMG whose medical degree or qualifications have been evaluated by a credentialing agency approved by the Colorado medical board and determined to be equivalent to a medical degree from an accredited medical school in the United States or Canada or a state or country with which Colorado has a reciprocal license agreement; and

(b) Have achieved a passing score on the USMLE step one and step two examinations.

(5) Once a program participant completes the curriculum for the clinical program, the program director or an entity with whom the program director contracts shall assess the program participant for clinical readiness for a residency program. If the program participant passes the assessment, the program director shall:

(a) Issue the program participant an industry-recognized credential of clinical readiness; and

(b) Submit a report and recommendation to the administrator of the assistance program and the department regarding the program participant.

(6) The program administrator shall allow an IMG who successfully completes the clinical program to interview for a position in the program administrator's residency program.

(7) (a) By January 1, 2025, and by each January 1 thereafter, the program director, in consultation with the Colorado medical board and other stakeholders, shall submit a report regarding the clinical program to:

(I) The executive director; and

(II) The executive director of the department of regulatory agencies.

(b) The report must include:

(I) Information about the operations of the clinical program, including the number of IMGs who participated in and completed the clinical program; and

(II) Recommendations regarding:

(A) Changes to professional licensure requirements that promote the increased utilization of IMGs in the state's health-care workforce; and

(B) The creation of a certification recognized by the department, the department of higher education, or the United States department of labor.

(c) The report must not include any personally identifying information about any program participant.

(d) The executive director shall include the report as part of its report pursuant to section 8-87-104.

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added, (HB 22-1050), ch. 379, p. 2693, § 2, effective June 7.