States anticipating potential shortages of health care workers are temporarily relaxing requirements for medical licenses, in the hopes that a volunteer force of out-of-state doctors, retired physicians and medical students can fill the gap. States with flexible laws already on the books have issued emergency declarations and executive orders directing state health departments and medical boards to clear legal obstacles. In other states, legislation has been fast-tracked to create new emergency powers.
Sources: Federation of State Medical Boards; American College of Surgeons, “Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act”; Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission
States anticipating potential shortages of health care workers are temporarily relaxing requirements for medical licenses, in the hopes that a volunteer force of out-of-state doctors, retired physicians and medical students can fill the gap. States with flexible laws already on the books have issued emergency declarations and executive orders directing state health departments and medical boards to clear legal obstacles. In other states, legislation has been fast-tracked to create new emergency powers.
Sources: Federation of State Medical Boards; American College of Surgeons, “Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act”; Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission