The Honorable Michael J. Rodrigues
Chair, Senate Committee on Ways & Means
State House, Room 212
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Mr. Chair:
The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) deeply appreciates your efforts, and those of the committee members and staff involved, to produce S.2856, An Act relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership. The MMS commends your leadership
in funding improvements to the Commonwealth’s economic infrastructure, fostering innovation in industry, and spurring economic opportunity and job creation.
We are grateful for your inclusion of language that would improve healthcare delivery for underserved residents of the Commonwealth, seizing the opportunity to integrate internationally trained physicians (ITPs) into critical areas of need to mitigate
current and future physician shortages. ITPs, having received education, training, and licensure abroad, bring extensive independent medical practice experience, often spanning many years. Despite their qualifications, ITPs encounter significant barriers
to entering the U.S. health care workforce as physicians. This proposal would allow Massachusetts to join a growing number of states that have pioneered alternative pathways for ITPs to practice, which will reduce barriers to care in underserved communities,
promote diversity in the physician workforce, and advance health equity across the Commonwealth.
We would like to be recorded in support of amendment #88 (Location Shield Provisions), which would protect the safety and privacy of patients and physicians accessing and providing reproductive health care services.
We would like to be recorded in opposition to amendments #132 (Removing Barriers to Care for Physician Assistants), #193 (Expanding Healthcare Workforce) and #203 (Increasing Access to Nurse-Midwifery Services). The legislature, in fulfilling its
duty to protect patients in the Commonwealth, has meticulously established a patient-centered framework of policies and statutory requirements. Our current system supports the provision of health care services by a physician-led team of health care
professionals who work collaboratively with each other and their patients to achieve shared goals through coordinated, high-quality, patient-centered care. These amendments threaten to undermine these patient-centered protections and could result
in a vastly varying quality of patient care.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Sincerely,
Hugh M. Taylor, MD
View a PDF version of this letter here.
