0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 34
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                            JOHN A. HEATON
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|             FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE REFORM COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH POLICY COMMISSION TO DEVELOP
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0012|     A PROCESS FOR THE OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW OF HEALTH
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0013|     PROFESSIONALS' SCOPE OF PRACTICE CHANGES.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, appropriately licensed health professionals are
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0016|     central to New Mexico's health care delivery system and the
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0017|     health and well-being of New Mexicans; and
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0018|          WHEREAS, the scope of practice of a given health
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0019|     profession may impact the geographic availability of certain
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0020|     health services; and
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0021|          WHEREAS, the state ensures fundamental quality of care
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0022|     through its establishment of allowable scopes of practice
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0023|     administered by licensing and certifications entities; and
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0024|          WHEREAS, the education, training and expertise of various
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0025|     health professionals is changing rapidly in response to both
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0001|     the needs of the state and technology; and
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0002|          WHEREAS, increasingly, different health professions have
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0003|     the potential capacity to perform similar or equivalent
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0004|     services; and
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0005|          WHEREAS, the New Mexico health policy commission's
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0006|     statutory purpose is to serve as a forum for the discussion of
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0007|     complex and controversial health policy issues;
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0008|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0009|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico health policy
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0010|     commission in cooperation with the state health professional
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0011|     licensing entities formulate recommendations for a process to
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0012|     gather, objectively assess and formulate recommendations on
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0013|     proposed health professionals' scope of practice changes; and
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0014|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that specific information and
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0015|     documentation be considered in the assessment of the proposed
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0016|     change and that the process ensure objective assessment and
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0017|     review of the proposed scope of practice; and
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0018|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that procedures be established for
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0019|     obtaining input from the public and other interested parties
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0020|     and that the most efficient and effective methods be used to
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0021|     ensure that the findings of such a process are incorporated
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0022|     into the policymaking process; and
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0023|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that considerations include
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0024|     required resources to support the process, assessment and
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0025|     potential existing sources for those resources, the
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0001|     desirability for the requirement of such objective assessment
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0002|     and review prior to consideration by the legislature of the
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0003|     proposed scope of practice changes and a recommendation of the
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0004|     most suitable state entity to oversee and perform the process;
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0005|     and
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0006|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico health policy
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0007|     commission report its recommendations to the appropriate
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0008|     legislative committee by October 1, 1998; and
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0009|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0010|     sent to the chairman of the New Mexico health policy
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0011|     commission, the regulation and licensing department, the
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0012|     department of health, the New Mexico board of medical
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0013|     examiners, the board of nursing and all other appropriate
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0014|     agencies and persons.
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0015|                              
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