SHM Supports Interstate Compact Work of FSMB
November 25, 2014
SHM's Policy Efforts
SHM supports legislation that affects hospital medicine and general healthcare, advocating for hospitalists and the patients they serve.
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Humayun Chaudhry, DO, FACP
President and CEO
Federation of State Medical Boards
400 Fuller Wiser Road, Suite 300
Euless, TX 76039
Donald Polk, DO
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Federation of State Medical Boards
400 Fuller Wiser Road, Suite 300
Euless, TX 76039
Dear Dr. Chaudhry and Dr. Polk:
The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), representing the nation’s 44,000 hospitalists, writes to commend you for your work in streamlining the medical licensure process for physicians looking to practice in multiple states. Your efforts in developing the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact will both expedite the licensure process already in place, while also maintaining the power to regulate the practice of medicine within individual state’s borders. Creating uniform guidelines, procedures, and standards among the states will help alleviate burden for physicians, as requirements within each state vary widely and require substantial investments in time and resources to obtain multiple licenses.
Hospital medicine is a rapidly growing specialty, but there is consistently a shortage of hospitalists - as they are widely affected by divergent licensing requirements between states. Differing licensing policies across states lines not only hinders the ability of hospitalists to quickly adjust staffing to meet the needs of hospitals and patients, but also creates extensive, costly and often redundant administrative hurdles. SHM is pleased to see the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) working with its member boards to efficiently address this issue.
SHM fully supports the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and concurs with your assessment that patients and the broader healthcare system would benefit from the streamlining of medical licensure policies across state lines. We appreciate your leadership in addressing this complicated issue and look forward the advancement of this important issue within the individual states.
Sincerely,
Burke T. Kealey, MD, SFHM
President, Society of Hospital Medicine