MDNews - Minnesota

IT HA S BEEN AN INCREDIBLY BUSY YE AR AT THE FEDER ATION OF STATE MEDICAL BOARDS (FSMB). Federation of State Medical Boards A S C H A I R O F the organiza- tion cha rged w it h a ssisting our nation's 70 state medica l and osteopathic boa rds, I a m pleased to share with you some of the work we are doing to pro- mote qua lit y hea lth ca re a nd patient safety. In July, the FSMB released " A C e n s u s o f A c t i v e l y L ic en se d Phy sici a n s i n t he Un i t e d S t a t e s , 2 0 1 6 ." T h e census, released ever y two yea rs in the Journal of Medical Regulation, is created using the latest statistics from FSMB's comprehensive database of more tha n 2 million physicia n records. The database contains comprehensive biographica l, educationa l a nd disciplina r y information about licensed a llopathic and osteopathic physicians as well as the nation's physician assistants. The census found that the tota l popu- lation of licensed physicia ns ha s increa sed by 12 percent since 2010, growing from 850,085 actively licensed physicians in 2010 to 953,695 in 2016. Minnesota saw an increase in its physician population from 20,174 in 2012 to 23,494 in 2016. The wea lth of data our census provides can play a significant role in understanding the needs of our hea lthcare workforce and helping to identify areas in which we can innovate and improve access to care. Another initiative the FSMB has been proud to support is the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC). The IMLC offers a new, volunta r y expedited pathway to licensure for qua lified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states. Twenty-two states, including Minnesota, have joined the IMLC, with 17 states actively issuing licenses at this time. The first license was issued in April 2017, and a number of states are considering enacting legislation to join the IMLC in 2018. The FSMB is continuing to analyze important issues impact- ing medica l regulation through a number of workgroups. Our workgroups, comprised of state medical board members, policy experts and thought leaders, are in the process of developing recommendations and guidelines on topics such as physician wellness and burnout, prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), and the practice of regenerative stem cell therapies. Once these repor ts a re fina lized, they will be presented to our House of Delegates for adoption as forma l policy at our annua l meeting in April. FSMB's officia l public policies are intended to give guidance and encourage consistency among state medical boards in addressing trends in medical practice and regulation. The primary mission of state medica l boards is to protect the public, and a key piece of that mission is helping boards in their educational outreach to medical students and residents. Nearly two-thirds of medical students completing their gradu- ate questionnaire for the Association of American Medica l Colleges categorized their knowledge of medica l licensing and reg ulation as "inadequate." To address this knowledge gap, the FSMB recently developed and released a free online education module titled "Understanding and Navigating the Medical Licensing Process." It is our goal to ensure that future licensed physicians know what to expect before applying for licensure and feel prepared when interacting with their state medical board. We are currently developing a handful of other educationa l modules on topics such as physician hea lth and impairment and the medica l disciplinary process. In its 105th year of operation, the FSMB is committed to looking a head and addressing emerging issues for medica l regulators and the hea lthcare system overa ll. I look forward to bringing you future updates about the critica lly important work of our nation's state medica l boa rds, a nd tha nk you for your commitment to helping us achieve our mission of public protection. n An Update from the Chair of the BY GREGORY B. SNYDER, MD, DABR, CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FEDERATION OF STATE MEDICAL BOARDS 1 6❱❱❱❱❱ H E A LT H C A R E P E R S P E C T I V E 1 6

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