Senate committee hears bill to fund residency start-ups to keep more doctors in Montana

Summary

Lawmakers and health advocates told the Senate Public Health Committee on Feb. 7 that a one-time grant program in Senate Bill 216 would help hospitals start new residency programs, with witnesses citing $2 million startup costs per program and a $6 million fiscal note to support three launches. No committee vote was taken at the hearing.

Senate Public Health Committee members heard testimony Feb. 7 on Senate Bill 216, the Montana Physicians Workforce Investment Act, a proposal to create one-time grants to help hospitals and other health facilities start new graduate medical education (GME) residency programs.

Sponsor Sen. Dennis Lentz, representing Senate District 25, told the committee the bill is intended to increase the number of physicians who train and then remain in Montana by supporting the costly startup phase of new residency programs. “What this bill would do would be to provide more residency programs in the state,” Lentz said during his opening remarks.

The bill would authorize a fiscal appropriation of $6 million in one-time grants, testimony said, with awards of up to $2 million per facility to cover startup costs such as hiring program directors and faculty, creating on-call and classroom space, and purchasing…

Senate committee hears bill to fund residency start-ups to keep more doctors in Montana

Summary

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