Senate Education Committee advances HB 368 to study Idaho medical education, keeps WWAMI seats discretionary

At a meeting of the Idaho Senate Education Committee, members voted to advance House Bill 368 to the fourteenth order of business for possible amendment after testimony from medical educators, students and state officials about Idaho’s physician shortage and medical training capacity.

The bill as introduced would have required the state-funded WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) medical education program to decrease by at least 10 funded student positions beginning in the 2027–2028 academic year; the amendment the committee is considering would change that requirement from a mandatory decrease (“shall”) to discretionary language (“may”) and direct the State Board of Education to convene a work group to develop an Idaho undergraduate medical education expansion plan.

The bill sponsor, Representative Dustin Manwaring, told the committee the amendment is intended to give the State Board and the work group flexibility to evaluate all program partners—WWAMI, the University of Utah program, ICOM and Idaho institutions—against a set of factors including the state’s physician shortage, quality of programs, in‑state use of funds and the number of residency placements produced. "These are the factors that we're suggesting as we're evaluating WWAMI and those 10 seats," Manwaring said.

Ian Goodhue, representing the University of Washington School of Medicine and the WWAMI program, testified in support of HB 368 with the anticipated amendment and asked the committee to "pass an amended HB 368 so that we can get to work together, educating more doctors for Idaho." Goodhue acknowledged past delays and apologized for the university’s handling of a prior contract issue, saying, "I assure you that won't happen again if given a chance."

University of Idaho and WWAMI faculty and alumni told the committee WWAMI has a long track record of producing Idaho physicians and that the state’s shortage of doctors requires multiple approaches. Jeff Siegmiller, director of the WWAMI Medical Education Program at the University of Idaho, and Moe Hagman, chair of the State Board of Education Graduate Medical Education Committee, described ongoing growth in graduate medical education (GME). Hagman said Idaho increased residency positions from 134 seven years ago to 262 this year and called GME expansion "a slow process that takes time and thoughtfulness."

Several practicing physicians and WWAMI students testified in favor of retaining and expanding WWAMI capacity rather than mandating cuts. Family physician Mary Baranaga, who said she is an Idaho WWAMI graduate, urged the committee to "preserve the hard work we have done thus far in the WWAMI program by giving the state board the discretion to make recommendations about WWAMI rather than automatically decreasing WWAMI positions." Derek Southwick, a family medicine resident and recent WWAMI graduate, said he plans to return to Idaho after residency and urged the committee not to "decrease in any type of medical education program on any level."

Committee discussion focused on two related capacity issues: (1) the number of undergraduate medical education seats and (2) Idaho’s ability to absorb graduates into residency (GME) positions. Representative Manwaring and witnesses told the committee Idaho must expand both ends of the pipeline—more medical students and more residency slots—to keep graduates in the state. Committee members asked about the scope and timeline for the proposed work group and what conditions would justify keeping WWAMI seats at current levels rather than reducing them by 10.

The committee also discussed cost and funding. Witnesses said the state share of funding for an additional student seat is approximately $60,000 per student per year (one speaker described a $180,000 total cost with hospitals and residency programs covering roughly two thirds, leaving the state with about one third, roughly $60,000). The committee heard that residency growth has been supported by a multi-year, legislature-backed GME plan and that additional investments will be necessary to stand up new residency programs in specialties such as general surgery and OB-GYN.

Representative Manwaring reminded members that a 2022 law requiring loan repayment for certain state-supported trainees exists to encourage physicians trained with state support to return to practice in Idaho; he cited that provision when discussing retention. He also said the bill, after amendments, is intended to produce a net increase of at least 20 state‑supported seats across partners over time.

Formal action: Senator Woodward moved and a second was recorded to send House Bill 368 to the fourteenth order of business for possible amendment. The committee conducted a roll call; eight members voted in favor and one member was absent. The chair declared the motion carried and the bill advanced for amendment consideration.

The committee will continue work this session through the State Board work group and scheduled committee actions to refine how Idaho expands undergraduate medical education and aligns that expansion with graduate medical education capacity and funding.