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Committee recommends extending physician health program to former licensees
Summary
The Workforce Development Committee voted to give House Bill 1039 a "do pass" recommendation. The bill would allow the North Dakota Board of Medicine to use board funds to enroll formerly licensed clinicians in the state's Physician Health Program to help them access treatment and a pathway back to licensure.
The Workforce Development Committee recommended a "do pass" on House Bill 1039 at a committee hearing, a measure that would allow the North Dakota Board of Medicine to use board funds, as authorized by the Legislature, to enroll former licensees in the Physician Health Program (PHP) and provide a pathway back to licensure and the workforce.
The bill matters because the PHP offers treatment placement and monitoring that participants and the board say can help clinicians who have left practice address health problems and return to clinical work. Supporters told the committee the program operates separately from licensing to encourage voluntary participation.
Sandra de Puntas, executive director of the North Dakota Board of Medicine, told the committee that the board has contracted with a separate PHP entity since 2015 so "the licensee felt like they had a safe place to go that wasn't with the board to obtain treatment." She said the PHP "evaluates the needs of every individual," matches them with treatment, and creates a customized monitoring program. De Puntas said the program is currently offered to all licensees under the Board of Medicine and that last session Senate Bill 2098 extended the program to physician assistant and medical students.
Maggie Siemens, executive director of the North Dakota PHP, described House Bill 1039 as "pretty straightforward" and said the program has capacity to expand: "We currently have 40 participants that work with us through the board of medicine." Siemens added that the PHP's clinical leadership includes a medical director, Dr. Melissa Henke.
Supporters told the committee the bill would extend eligibility to individuals who previously held a license but no longer do so — for example, clinicians whose licenses had been suspended — to allow them to enter treatment and pursue reinstatement. De Puntas explained the policy intent: "Let's get you that so that we can try to get you back into the workforce." The board's ability to fund that assistance depends on legislative authorization of board fund use, she said.
Committee members asked about the program's structure and capacity. Siemens said the PHP is an independent contract entity that currently operates with two primary staff (an executive director and a medical director) and can absorb some additional participants depending on volume. No opposition or neutral testimony was recorded during the hearing.
A committee member moved a "do pass" recommendation for House Bill 1039; the motion was seconded. The roll call recorded committee members voting "yes": Senator Wabamaw; Senator Axman; Senator Larson; Senator Bosche; and Senator Powers. The committee recorded a 5-0 vote in favor and the bill was recommended to proceed with a carrier identified to shepherd it in subsequent stages.
If advanced by the Legislature, the change would allow the Board of Medicine to enroll former licensees in an existing treatment-and-monitoring program that supporters say facilitates rehabilitation and potential return to clinical practice. The bill does not by itself enact appropriations; implementation would be limited by the board's funding authority as approved by the Legislature.
No amendments, costs, or specific appropriation amounts were presented at the hearing. The committee set the bill to be carried forward by a committee member for later consideration.
