Senate committee forwards Dr. Abdul Khan’s reappointment to Health Care Workforce Training Commission
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Summary
An Oklahoma Senate committee voted unanimously to forward the reappointment of Dr. Abdul Khan of Ardmore to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission after a question-and-answer period about rural workforce challenges and telemedicine.
An Oklahoma Senate committee voted 10-0 to forward the reappointment of Dr. Abdul Khan Sahibzada of Ardmore to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission, recommending the nomination to the full Senate.
The commission advises on efforts to recruit and retain health-care providers in underserved areas. Senator Albert introduced Khan’s nomination and said the five-year appointment would succeed Khan’s current term; the committee then heard remarks and questions from members before voting to forward the nomination.
Dr. Abdul Khan, introduced by Senator Albert as an Ardmore-based physician, described his work in rural communities and his role in expanding nephrology and urgent-care services. Khan said he founded Southern Oklahoma Kidney Center, operates Absolute Urgent Care in Gainesville, Texas, and serves as medical director for Ardmore Dialysis Ranch, FMC Dialysis in Ada and a dialysis facility in Gainesville, Texas. He said those experiences informed his approach to increasing access to care in underserved areas.
During questions, Senator Hayes asked what Khan sees as the greatest challenge for the commission. Khan said recruiting physicians and allied health professionals to rural communities remains the primary issue and highlighted telemedicine as a way to provide specialist support remotely. Khan also said the commission has offered stipends to physicians who commit to work in rural areas for a set period.
Senator Hicks asked which initiatives Khan viewed as successful during his previous five-year service. Khan identified American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding as having aided communities by supporting technology and build-outs to expand access; he and members noted ARPA is one-time funding and discussed the challenge of sustaining those projects without recurring dollars. Members asked whether the new medical school in Tahlequah was producing a measurable increase in rural providers; Khan said he had not yet seen a clear impact.
Senators also asked about incentives, including a proposed tax credit for physicians who practice in rural Oklahoma. Khan said any incentive for physicians, nurse practitioners or physician assistants would have positive value in attracting providers.
The committee record shows a 10-0 favorable recommendation; the clerk reported “10 ayes and 0 nays,” and the chair declared the nomination passed and forwarded to the full Senate.
The nomination now moves to the full Senate for final confirmation; no date for that vote was specified in the committee transcript.
