Critical access hospitals: employment.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, restricts the employment of physicians and surgeons or doctors of podiatric medicine by a corporation or other artificial legal entity to entities that do not charge for professional services rendered to patients and are approved by the Medical Board of California, subject to specified exemptions. Existing law establishes the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, which succeeds to and is vested with all the duties, powers, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the State Department of Public Health relating to health planning and research development. This bill, until January 1, 2024, would also authorize a federally certified critical access hospital to employ those medical professionals and charge for professional services rendered by those medical professionals if the medical staff concur by an affirmative vote that the professional's employment is in the best interest of the communities served by the hospital and the hospital does not direct or interfere with the professional judgment of a physician and surgeon, as specified. The bill would require the office, on or before July 1, 2023, to provide a report to the Legislature containing data on the impact of this authorization on federally certified critical access hospitals and their ability to recruit and retain physicians and surgeons, as specified. The bill would, on and after July 1, 2017, and until July 1, 2023, require a federally critical access hospital employing those medical professionals under this authorization to submit a report, on or before July 1 of each year, to the office as specified.