The core structural barriers faced by Internationally Trained Health Professionals (ITHPs) can best be addressed through policy work at the local, regional and statewide level. While the program has been successful in identifying and addressing the individual-level barriers that program participants face, more work is needed at the structural level. This will be the focus of the second phase of the program.
The policy activities of the program will concentrate on the particular needs of its three main constituencies: internationally trained physicians, nurses and dentists. The expected impact of the policy work will focus on 4 stakeholders: professional associations and licensing boards (regulatory entities), educational institutions, local and state government, and employers. In this second phase, the program will direct its efforts to addressing the structural barriers identified over the past three years and on expanding opportunities for the program's participants. The policy agenda has been developed on the basis of lessons learned and opportunities identified, and it is consistent with the pathways originally defined for the program's participants.
Welcome Back will partner with the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) to research, analyze, and advocate for public policies that lead to the improved and increased integration of foreign trained practitioners into the California health care system via safety-net providers. Through our research and analysis, Welcome Back and CPCA will be able to build a framework for our strategic policy agenda.
Welcome Back Initiative Statewide Policy Convening - May 12, 2005
Issues Discussed