Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/464485
T he Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, proposed in 2014, would expedite the process of obtaining medical licenses in multiple states. The compact stipulates t he creation of a special commission that would function alongside existing state licensing boards to manage interstate medical licensing. "The compact would make it easier and faster for physicians to obtain a license to practice in multiple states, thus helping extend the impact and ava ilabilit y of t heir ca re at a time when demand is expected to grow sig- nificantly," Humayun Chaudhry, DO, President and CEO of the FSMB, said in an interview with HealthLeaders Media. Proponents of the compact believe it could increase hea lthca re access by suppor ting telemedicine a mong s t ate s. I n r u r a l a nd u nders er ve d communities for which the la rgest metropolitan hospital is in a neighboring state, the compact would reduce the administrative burden of that hospital extending its telemedicine program across the state line. Under the compact, only certain physicians — such as those with spe- cialty certification or a time-unlimited specialty certification and a full and unrestricted medical license for at least three years — would be eligible for inter- state medical licensure. Additionally, as noted in an opinion piece published last August in The Journal of the American Medical Association, all states in which a physician wished to obtain a license would have to agree to the compact. ■ You're thinking: In these tough economic times "hope" is not a strategy. We're thinking: Partnering with a sharp financial team is. 210.384.8000 | www.ssacpa.com Doctors without (State) Borders By Colin Stayton COULD STREAMLINED INTERSTATE MEDICAL LICENSURE ALLEVIATE THE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE? YES, SAYS THE FEDERATION OF STATE MEDICAL BOARDS (FSMB), WHICH HAS PROPOSED SUCH A SYSTEM. 1 8 | San Antonio MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M