The office shall prepare a Health Manpower Plan for California. The plan shall consist of at least the following elements:
(a) The establishment of appropriate standards for determining the adequacy of supply in California of at least each of the following categories of health personnel: physicians, midlevel medical practitioners (physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners); nurses; dentists; midlevel dental practitioners (dental nurses and dental hygienists); optometrists; optometry assistants; pharmacists; and pharmacy technicians.
(b) A determination of appropriate standards for the adequacy of supply of the categories in subdivision (a) shall be made by taking into account all of the following: current levels of demand for health services in California; the capacity of each category of personnel in subdivision (a) to provide health services; the extent to which midlevel practitioners and assistants can substitute their services for those of other personnel; the likely impact of the implementation of a national health insurance program on the demand for health services in California; professionally developed standards for the adequacy of the supply of health personnel; and assumptions concerning the future organization of health care services in California.
(c) A determination of the adequacy of the current and future supply of health personnel by category in subdivision (a) taking into account the sources of supply for such personnel in California, the magnitude of immigration of personnel to California, and the likelihood of the immigration continuing.
(d) A determination of the adequacy of the supply of specialties within each category of health personnel in subdivision (a). The determination shall be made, based upon standards of appropriate supply to speciality developed, in accordance with subdivision (b).
(e) Recommendations concerning changes in health manpower policies, licensing statutes, and programs needed to meet the state’s need for health personnel.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1996.)