04061DDF1416AA3687258537007D1C61 Hearing Summary

Senator Danielson, bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 20-022 and provided a handout (Attachment A).  The bill modifies the Colorado Health Service Corps program in the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to include geriatric advanced practice providers.  The bill allows geriatric advanced practice providers who meet certain criteria to participate in an education loan repayment program.  In order to be eligible, a geriatric advanced practice provider must agree to spend at least fifty percent of their time providing geriatric care in a health professional shortage area in Colorado and enter into a contract to provide such care for at least two years.  In addition, they must have completed at least one of the following:

• a formal, postgraduate geriatrics training program;
• formal geriatrics training within an advanced practice provider training program and at least twelve months of postgraduate clinical experience, at least half of which was spent providing geriatric care;
• at least twenty-four months of postgraduate clinical experience, at least half of which was spent providing geriatric care; or
• a geriatric track clinical experience during an advanced practice provider training program, in which at least half of the clinical training time was spent providing geriatric care.

The bill also updates the definition of "state designated health professional shortage area" to include a shortage of geriatric advanced practice providers and increases the membership of the Colorado Health Service Corps Advisory Council from fifteen to sixteen with the addition of a physician who provides geriatric care or a geriatric advanced practice provider.

Dr. Robert Schwartz, Colorado Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Skotti Church, Colorado Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.

Bob Brocker, Colorado Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.

Rachel Minore, Alzheimer's Association, testified in support of the bill.

Francesca Mase, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members discussed the bill.