HM 64 — PHYSICAL THERAPY WORKFORCE INCENTIVES GROUP

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 64REQUESTING 53RDTHE LEGISLATURESECRETARY -OF STATEHIGHER OFEDUCATION TO CONVENE A PHYSICAL THERAPY WORKFORCE INCENTIVES STUDY GROUP TO INVESTIGATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH NEW MEXICOMEXICO'S -WORKFORCE SECONDINCENTIVES, SESSIONINCLUDING ,HEALTH 2018PROFESSIONAL INTRODUCEDLOAN BYREPAYMENT ElizabethASSISTANCE, "Liz"ARE ThomsonPROVIDING andADEQUATE DeborahINCENTIVES A.TO PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS TO LOCATE OR REMAIN IN THE STATE.

ArmstrongWHEREAS, 6physical 8therapists 10and Aphysical MEMORIALtherapist REQUESTINGassistants THEare SECRETARYan OFessential HIGHERpart EDUCATIONof TOthe CONVENEhealth Acare PHYSICALsystem, THERAPYproviding WORKFORCEcare INCENTIVESthat STUDYrestores GROUPpatients TOto INVESTIGATEfull THEfunctioning EXTENTfor TOgreater, WHICHfuller NEWparticipation MEXICO'Sin WORKFORCElife INCENTIVES,activities; INCLUDING HEALTH PROFESSIONAL LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE, ARE PROVIDING ADEQUATE INCENTIVES TO PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS TO LOCATE OR e t 17 w l REMAIN IN THE STATE.

nand d 18 = = 19 a l WHEREAS, physical therapists and physical therapist i a e r 20 assistants aremay anbe essentialfound partin ofclinical thesettings, healthin carerehabilitation system,centers aand tin mpatients' mhomes, 21in providingeach caresetting thatplaying restoresan patientsessential torole full functioning for d r e 22 greater, fuller participation in liferehabilitation; activities;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, physical therapists and physical therapist e a n b 24 u [ assistants may be found in clinical settings, in rehabilitation centers and in patients' homes, in each setting playing an .209547.2 essential role in rehabilitation;

and HM 64 WHEREAS, as the population of New Mexicans ages, the Page 1 demand for physical therapy services to maintain and restore full functioning will be even greater;

and WHEREAS, despite the value of physical therapy services, e e 17 physical therapists' and physical therapist assistants' earning e e n d 18 potential is quite low in proportion to the debts they incur = = l ] 19 for their physical therapy education;

and a l r i 20 WHEREAS, compared to other health care practitioners, t e a t physical therapists have the largest student debt compared to m m 21 e d r e 22 their earning potential;

and c e r c 23 WHEREAS, becoming a physical therapist entails seven years e a n b 24 of study, including earning a bachelor's degree and doctor of u [ physical therapy degree;

and .209547.2 - 2 - WHEREAS, according to a recent survey of New Mexico physical therapists, a recent graduate of a physical therapy educational program has incurred a debt, combining student debt with other forms of debt such as credit cards and other loans, that may be as much as two hundred ninety-seven thousand dollars ($297,000);

and WHEREAS, a recent survey of New Mexico physical therapist assistants reports that the average physical HM 64 Page 2 therapist assistant graduates with approximately seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000) in student debt;

and WHEREAS, the rural health care practitioner tax credit is not available to physical therapists or physical therapist e e 17 assistants, thus depriving physical therapists and physical e e n d 18 therapist assistants of this tax relief and worsening the lack = = l ] 19 of physical therapy services in rural, underserved areas of the a l r i 20 state;

and t e a t WHEREAS, health care workforce incentives programs such as m m 21 e d r e 22 the New Mexico health service corps and national health service c e r c 23 corps, which may provide scholarships or loan-for-serviceloan-for- eservice a n b 24 assistance to health professionals who make service u [ commitments, are not available to physical therapists or .209547.2 - 3 - physical therapist assistants;

and WHEREAS, the New Mexico health professional loan repayment program, created in 1995 to benefit designated health professional shortage areas by creating incentives for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and other health professionals to serve in these communities, does not adequately offset the high debt loads that physical therapy providers have when they graduate from accredited physical HM 64 Page 3 therapy programs and begin practicing;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of higher education be requested to convene a physical therapy workforce incentives study group to investigate the extent to which New Mexico's workforce incentives, including health professional loan repayment assistance, are providing adequate incentives to physical therapists and physical therapist e e 17 assistants to locate or remain in the state;

and e e n d 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of higher = = l ] 19 education invite to join the physical therapy workforce a l r i 20 incentives study group representatives from the physical t e a t therapy board, the New Mexico chapter of the American physical m m 21 e d r e 22 therapy association, the department of health's office of c e r c 23 primary care and rural health and others with expertise in e a n b 24 workforce development, public finance and health care delivery;

u [ and .209547.2 - 4 - BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the physical therapy workforce incentives study group be requested to report its findings and recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee and to the legislative finance committee by October 1, 2018;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the chair and vice chair of the legislative health and human services committee, the chair and vice chair HM 64 Page 4 of the legislative finance committee, the secretary of higher education, the secretary of health, the chair of the physical therapy board and the president of the board of directors of the New Mexico chapter of the American physical therapy association.

-HM 564 -Page 165 e7 e9 1725 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .209547.2