Senate committee advances HB 368 after amendment to preserve review of WWAMI seats

The Idaho Senate Education Committee voted to send House Bill 368 to the fourteenth order for possible amendment on a voice/roll-call motion, advancing legislation that directs the State Board of Education to develop an undergraduate medical education plan and creates a work group to evaluate growth of medical training in Idaho.

The bill was amended in committee to change a provision that would have required state funding for the WWAMI (University of Washington) medical education program to be decreased by 10 seats beginning in the 2027–2028 academic year. Representative Dustin Manwaring, the bill sponsor, described the change from “shall” to “may” as the primary substantive amendment and said the alteration gives the State Board discretion to recommend retaining or changing WWAMI seats after the work group evaluates multiple factors.

The amendment also adds legislative representation and Idaho-institution seats to the work group, including members from Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), Idaho State University and the University of Idaho, with additional appointments to be made by the State Board.

Supporters at the hearing — including program leaders, practicing physicians, residents and medical students — told the committee that Idaho must grow both undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education (residency) capacity to address a statewide physician shortage. Ian Goodhue, who testified representing the University of Washington School of Medicine and the WWAMI program, said, “For over 50 years, the Idaho legislature, through the state board and the University of Idaho, have partnered with the University of Washington to educate Idaho medical students in Idaho for Idaho patients,” and added, “Idaho needs more doctors.”

State Board and university witnesses stressed that the shortage is not just a numbers problem but a pipeline issue that includes clinical training sites and residency slots. Dr. Moe Hagman, chair of the State Board of Education Graduate Medical Education Committee, told the committee the state has increased residency seats substantially in recent years: the GME committee’s work helped expand spots from about 134 seven years ago to about 262 this year. He described residency expansion as a slower, resource-intensive process that requires faculty (“teachers”), funding and infrastructure.

Testimony from current residents and WWAMI graduates emphasized the program’s role in recruiting and retaining physicians for Idaho communities. Dr. Derek Southwick, a family medicine resident and recent WWAMI graduate, said he planned to return to Idaho after residency and described WWAMI as “a cornerstone” for regional medical education. Dr. Brynn Parker, a WWAMI-trained physician practicing in Moscow, said she regularly precepts WWAMI students and credited the program’s rural rotations with her decision to practice in Idaho.

Committee members also discussed costs and program funding. A committee member noted an approximate ongoing state funding figure of $60,000 per additional student, while another witness clarified the fuller training cost can be nearer $180,000 with hospitals and other payers picking up a portion; the witness characterized the state’s share as about one-third of the larger figure. Representative Manwaring reminded the committee that Idaho law enacted in 2022 includes loan-repayment provisions intended to encourage students who benefit from state-supported training to return to practice in Idaho.

After brief committee discussion about the amendment language and the work group’s charge — which directs consideration of Idaho physician needs, program quality, maximizing Idaho clinical placements and residency growth — Senator Woodward moved to send HB 368 forward for possible amendment. The motion passed on a roll-call vote recorded in committee as eight in favor and one absent; the committee’s secretary announced “8 in favor and 1 absent.”

The bill as amended directs the State Board work group to evaluate whether WWAMI seats should be reduced, maintained or increased, and to report recommendations back to the legislature. Supporters asked the committee to preserve existing WWAMI placements while the work group studies options and potential state investments to expand undergraduate and graduate medical education in Idaho.

The committee did not adopt final changes to the bill text in committee; it voted to advance HB 368 for further amendment and floor consideration. The committee chair closed the hearing and adjourned, noting further committee work and meetings to continue the study.