THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has expressed its support for proposed legislation designed to help primary care physicians return to clinical practice after a period away from patient care.
AAFP Board Chair Jeff Cain notes that family physicians who take time out of the clinical loop remain important contributors to the workforce. The steps that these physicians need to take in order to acquire the licensure, credentials, and privileges necessary to resume practice should be clearly delineated.
The Primary Care Physician Re-Entry Act bill was introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes, and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill would establish a project aimed at developing innovative programs to assist individuals trained in primary care or primary health care services who wish to re-enter clinical practice. The legislation specifically provides for physicians specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, dentistry, and mental health services.
"The AAFP shares your commitment to improving the process of physician re-entry to clinical practice following an extended period of clinical inactivity not resulting from discipline or impairment," Cain said in a letter to Sarbanes.
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