SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out sections 25L through 25N, inclusive, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following 3 sections:—

Section 25L. a) There shall be in the department a health care workforce center to improve access to health and behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health care services. The center, in consultation with the health care workforce advisory council established by section 25M and the secretary of labor and workforce development, shall: (1) coordinate the department's health care workforce activities with other state agencies and public and private entities involved in health care workforce training, recruitment and retention, including with the activities of the Health Care Workforce Transformation Fund; (2) monitor trends in access to primary care providers, and nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing as primary care providers, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health providers, oral health care providers including dentists, dental hygienists, community health workers, and other physician and nursing providers, through activities including (i) reviewing existing data and collection of new data as needed to assess the capacity of the health care and behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health care workforce to serve patients, including patients with disabilities whose disabilities may include but are not limited to intellectual and developmental disabilities, including patient access and regional disparities in access to physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health care professionals, dentists, dental hygienists, and community health workers and to examine physician, nursing and physician assistant, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals, dentist, dental hygienist, and community health worker satisfaction; (ii) reviewing existing laws, regulations, policies, contracting or reimbursement practices, and other factors that influence recruitment and retention of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals, dentists, dental hygienists, and community health workers; (iii) projecting the ability of the workforce to meet the needs of patients over time; (iv) identifying strategies currently being employed to address workforce needs, shortages, recruitment and retention; (v) studying the capacity of public and private medical, nursing, physician assistant, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professional, dental and dental hygienist schools in the commonwealth to expand the supply of primary care physicians and nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing as primary care providers and licensed behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals, as well as dentists and dental hygienists practicing as primary and oral health care providers, and the capacity of community health worker training education programs; (3) establish criteria to identify underserved areas in the commonwealth for administering the loan repayment program established under section 25N and for determining statewide target areas for health care provider placement based on the level of access; and (4) address health care workforce shortages through the following activities, including: (i) coordinating state and federal loan repayment and incentive programs for health care providers; (ii) providing assistance and support to communities, physician and oral health care groups, community health centers and community hospitals in developing cost-effective and comprehensive recruitment initiatives; (iii) maximizing all sources of public and private funds for recruitment initiatives; (iv) designing pilot programs and making regulatory and legislative proposals to address workforce needs, shortages, recruitment and retention; and (v) making short-term and long-term programmatic and policy recommendations to improve workforce performance, address identified workforce shortages and recruit and retain physicians, nurses, physician assistants, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals, dentists, dental hygienists, and community health workers.

(b) The center shall maintain ongoing communication and coordination with the health disparities council, established by section 16O of chapter 6A.

(c) The center shall annually submit a report, not later than March 1, to the governor, the health disparities council, established by section 16O of chapter 6A; and the general court, by filing the same with the clerk of the house of representatives, the clerk of the senate, the joint committee on labor and workforce development, the joint committee on health care financing, and the joint committee on public health. The report shall include: (1) data on patient access and regional disparities in access to physicians and dentists, by specialty and sub-specialty, and nurses, physician assistants, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals, dental hygienists and community health workers; (2) data on factors influencing recruitment and retention of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals, dentists, dental hygienists, and appropriate licensed dental providers as they become identified in the workforce, and community health workers; (3) short and long-term projections of physician, nurse, physician assistant and behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professionals supply and demand; (4) strategies being employed by the council or other entities to address workforce needs, shortages, recruitment and retention; (5) recommendations for designing, implementing and improving programs or policies to address workforce needs, shortages, recruitment and retention; and (6) proposals for statutory or regulatory changes to address workforce needs, shortages, recruitment and retention.

Section 25M. (a) There shall be a healthcare workforce advisory council within, but not subject to the control of, the health care provider workforce center established by section 25L. The council shall advise the center on the capacity of the healthcare workforce to provide timely, effective, culturally competent, quality physician, dental, nursing, physician assistant, behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health services, and community health worker services.

(b) The council shall consist of: 21 members to be appointed by the governor: 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Extended Care Federation; 1 of whom shall be a physician with a primary care specialty designation who practices in a rural area; 1 of whom shall be a physician with a primary care specialty who practices in an urban area; 1 of whom shall be a physician with a medical subspecialty; 1 of whom shall be an advanced practice nurse, authorized under section 80B of said chapter 112, who practices in a rural area; 1 of whom shall be an advanced practice nurse, authorized under said section 80B of said chapter 112, who practices in an urban area; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Workforce Board Association; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Medical Society; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Center for Nursing, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Nurses Association; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society; 1 of whom shall be a representative of Health Care For All, Inc.; 1 of whom shall be a behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health professional; 1 of whom shall be a dentist with a public health education or experience in public health; 1 of whom shall be a dental hygienist with a public health education or experience in public health; and 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers. Members of the council shall be appointed for terms of 3 years or until a successor is appointed. Members shall be eligible to be reappointed and shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses reasonably incurred in the performance of their duties. Vacancies of unexpired terms shall be filled within 60 days by the appropriate appointing authority.

The council shall meet at least bimonthly, at other times as determined by its rules and when requested by any 8 members.

(c) The council shall advise the center on: (1) trends in access to primary care and oral health care and physician and dentist subspecialties, and nursing, dental hygiene, physician assistant,  behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health services, and community health worker services; (2) the development and administration of the loan repayment program, established under section 25N, including criteria to identify underserved areas in the commonwealth; and (3) solutions to address identified health care workforces shortages; and (iv) the center's annual report to the general court.

Section 25N. (a) There shall be a health care workforce loan repayment program, administered by the health care workforce center established by section 25L. The program shall provide repayment assistance for graduate, medical, and accredited dental school loans to participants who: (1) are graduates of medical, dental, nursing, physician assistant, or dental hygiene schools or accredited graduate schools; (2) specialize in family health or medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, public health dentistry, behavioral health, mental health or substance use disorder treatment; (3) demonstrate competency in health information technology, at least equivalent to federal meaningful use standards as set forth in 45 C.F.R. Part 170, including use of electronic medical records, computerized physician order entry and e-prescribing; and (4) meet other eligibility criteria, including service requirements, established by the board.

Each recipient shall be required to enter into a contract with the commonwealth which shall obligate the recipient to perform a term of service of not less than 2 years in medically underserved areas as determined by the center.

(b) The center shall promulgate regulations for the administration and enforcement of this section which shall include penalties and repayment procedures if a participant fails to comply with the service contract.

The center shall, in consultation with the health care workforce advisory council and the public health council, establish criteria to identify medically underserved areas within the commonwealth. These criteria shall consist of quantifiable measures, which may include the availability of primary care medical services, dental services, or behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health services within reasonable traveling distance, poverty levels and disparities in health care access or health outcomes.

(c) The center shall evaluate the program annually, including exit interviews of participants to determine their post-program service plans and to solicit program improvement recommendations.

(d) The center shall file an annual report, not later than July 1, with the governor, the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on health care financing, the joint committee on mental health and substance abuse and the joint committee on public health. The report shall include annual data and historical trends of: (1) the number of applicants, the number accepted and the number of participants by race, gender, medical, nursing, physician assistant, behavioral health, substance use, mental health, dental specialty, graduate, physician assistant, medical, accredited dental, dental hygiene or nursing school, residence prior to graduate, medical, dental,  nursing, physician assistant, or dental hygiene school and where they plan to practice after program completion; (2) the service placement locations and length of service commitments by participants; (3) the number of participants who fail to fulfill the program requirements and the reason for the failures; (4) the number of former participants who continue to serve in underserved areas; and (5) program expenditures.