Continuing education: physicians and surgeons: maternal mental health.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Under that act, the board is required to adopt and administer standards for the continuing education of physicians and surgeons. By July 1, 2019, existing law requires a licensed healthcare practitioner who provides prenatal or postpartum care for a patient to offer to screen or appropriately screen a mother for maternal mental health conditions. Existing law also requires a general acute care hospital or special hospital that has a perinatal unit to develop to implement, by January 1, 2020, a program relating to maternal mental health conditions including, but not limited to, postpartum depression. This bill would require the board, in determining the continuing education requirements for physicians and surgeons, to consider including a course in maternal mental health, addressing, among other provisions, the requirements described above. The bill would require the board to periodically update any curricula developed pursuant to the bill to account for new research.