(1) The Physician Visa Waiver Program is established in the Oregon Health Authority. The purpose of the program is to make recommendations to the United States Department of State for a waiver of the foreign country residency requirement on behalf of foreign physicians holding visas who seek employment in federally designated shortage areas.

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(2) A foreign physician who has completed a residency in the United States may apply to the authority for a recommendation for a waiver of the foreign country residency requirement in order to obtain employment in a federally designated shortage area in the state. Applications shall be on the forms of and contain the information requested by the authority. Each application shall be accompanied by the application fee.

(3) The authority reserves the right to recommend or decline to recommend any request for a waiver.

(4) The authority shall adopt rules necessary to implement and administer the program, including but not limited to adopting an application fee not to exceed the cost of administering the program. [Formerly 409.745]

See note under 413.231.

(Temporary provisions relating to shortage of behavioral health treatment providers)

Sections 2 and 6 (2), chapter 39, Oregon Laws 2022, provide:

(1) The Oregon Health Authority shall contract with nurses and behavioral health professionals to provide care in adult and child residential behavioral health treatment facilities, opioid treatment programs, withdrawal management programs and sobering centers in this state to address staffing shortages at such facilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(2) The authority shall seek any necessary approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to secure federal financial participation in the costs of contracts described in subsection (1) of this section if funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is unavailable. [2022 c.39 § 2]

(2) Section 2 of this 2022 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027. [2022 c.39 § 6(2)]

Sections 1 and 2, chapter 493, Oregon Laws 2023, provide:

(1) The Oregon Health Authority shall convene a work group to study the major barriers to workforce recruitment and retention in the publicly financed behavioral health system in this state. The work group must include:

(a) One nonmanagement peer mentor who is in active practice;

(b) One nonmanagement clinical social worker licensed under ORS § 675.530 who is in active practice;

(c) One nonmanagement certified alcohol and drug counselor who is in active practice;

(d) One nonmanagement qualified mental health associate who is in active practice;

(e) One nonmanagement qualified mental health professional who is in active practice;

(f) Two members who carry caseloads and supervise other employees who are working to achieve hours for certification or licensure as a behavioral health providers;

(g) Directors or the directors’ designees from:

(A) Four community mental health programs; and

(B) Four behavioral health providers that are not community mental health programs;

(h) One representative of an association of behavioral health provider employees;

(i) One representative of an association of behavioral health provider organizations;

(j) At least one representative or designee of a mental health consumer organization;

(k) At least one representative or designee of a substance use disorder consumer organization; and

(L) Two representatives of coordinated care organizations.

(2) The membership of the work group convened under subsection (1) of this section must include representatives of at least four providers of culturally specific services and, to the extent practicable, represent the geographic, racial, ethnic and gender diversity of this state.

(3) The work group shall develop recommendations to:

(a) Improve the recruitment of the behavioral health workforce;

(b) Improve the retention of the behavioral health workforce;

(c) Reduce administrative burdens on the behavioral health workforce;

(d) Increase the reimbursement paid to behavioral health providers and increase the pay for the behavioral health workforce;

(e) Reduce the workload of the behavioral health workforce, including caseload guidelines or ratios, and consider national and local studies of existing program staffing;

(f) Reduce burnout within the behavioral health workforce; and

(g) Diversify the behavioral health workforce.

(4) In developing the recommendations under subsection (3) of this section, the work group shall consider:

(a) The number and types of workers needed to meet the community’s demand for behavioral health treatment and services;

(b) The impact of the recommendations on:

(A) Consumers’ access to behavioral health services;

(B) Providers’ administrative burdens;

(C) The delivery of team-based care; and

(D) The ability to transition to value-based payment methodologies; and

(c) The resources needed to implement the recommendations.

(5) No later than January 15, 2025, the authority shall report to the interim subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means related to human services, in the manner provided in ORS § 192.245, the work group’s initial recommendations for addressing behavioral health workforce challenges to inform the subcommittee on the authority’s budget for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025.

(6) No later than December 15, 2025, the authority shall submit a final report, in the manner provided in ORS § 192.245, containing the work group’s final recommendations, including recommendations for legislative actions, if needed, to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to health care and to the interim subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means related to human services. [2023 c.493 § 1]

Section 1 of this 2023 Act is repealed on January 2, 2026. [2023 c.493 § 2]

HEALTH CARE PRACTICES

(Health Improvement)