Senate panel OK’s bill allowing CHCC to retain medical professionals from foreign countries

The Senate Standing Committee on Health, Education and Welfare has passed Senate Bill 23-67 Senate Substitute 1 which essentially establishes a special medical facility permit to allow physicians licensed to practice in a foreign country to practice medicine at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.

During a committee meeting last week, the standing committee unanimously passed S.B. 23-67 SS1. The bill now heads to the full Senate body for a vote before it makes its way to the House.

During the hearing, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. professionals came out in support of the bill’s passage.

Marty Roringer, deputy chief medical officer at CHCC and vice chairman of the Healthcare Professions Licensing Board, expressed that there is an increasing crisis across the nation due to a decline in the number of primary care and acute care providers.

“Not only here but it’s a nationwide issue where there is a shrinking number of primary care and acute care providers in remote areas. This would include us here in Saipan but especially on Rota and Tinian. Trying to get an appointment with a primary care doctor is a challenge, this problem is upon us already and is not expected to get any better and we are required to explore other options in finding qualified doctors. This problem is certainly in primary care already but is expected to worsen in specialty care as well,” he said.

At CHCC, Roringer said they have leveraged multiple recruiting resources without adequate results.

“I know the private sector struggles with this as well. Medical schools in the United States are graduating insufficient numbers of doctors for the aging population and this problem is expected to worsen,” he said.

Fortunately, there are qualified people out there who can provide this level of care, and it has been proven through the Medical Referral Program. Unfortunately, current barriers are hindering qualified doctors from practicing here which is why he supports the passing of S.B. 23-67.

“Historically, in the CNMI, we’ve had the unique opportunity to send our patients to healthcare facilities outside the United States such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan for care. We know there are qualified people who can care for our people who are not trained in the United States. Our current regulation laws are a barrier to bring qualified and excellent doctors to work here. I have absolute confidence that we have the resources to vet and ensure that we bring in skilled and qualified doctors from foreign countries to address this immediate and critical need especially for primary care in Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. Especially since the lack of specialty care is on our doorstep already,” he said.

Matthew Nelson, current Emergency Department director and chairman at CHCC, echoes this sentiment stating that foreign medical doctors can address the growing health needs of the CNMI.

“Our department traditionally provides supplemental medical services to Tinian and Rota. However, over the past few years, the emergency department and family care clinic have found it increasingly difficult to provide coverage to Rota and Tinian as our departments are also facing recruitment and retention issues. While our emergency department providers are able to care for all ages, our training and focus is on emergency and urgent care, not primary or continuity care. As a first board certified family physician, I can’t overstate the importance of access to preventative and consistent primary care. I strongly support the opportunity that foreign medical doctors would present in addressing the continuing health needs of our Rota and Tinian.”