Newswise — WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 9, 2016) – Colorado became the 17th state to enact the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact on June 8 when legislation was signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper. With the addition of Colorado, five states in the last month have enacted legislation to expand access to health care by expediting medical licensure.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact offers an expedited licensing process for physicians interested in practicing medicine in multiple states. The Compact is expected to expand access to health care, especially to those in rural and underserved areas of the country, and facilitate the use of telemedicine technologies in the delivery of health care.
“It is encouraging to see Colorado join the Compact, along with a growing number of states, as this will improve and increase health care access in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, while still ensuring that we protect patient safety and quality,” said Joan Bothner, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Children’s Hospital Colorado.
In addition to Colorado, 16 other states have enacted the Compact, including Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
For more information about the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, please visit http://www.licenseportability.org.
About the Federation of State Medical BoardsThe Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national non-profit organization representing all medical boards within the United States and its territories that license and discipline allopathic and osteopathic physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals. The FSMB serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best practices. To learn more about FSMB, visit http://www.fsmb.org. You can also follow FSMB on Twitter (@theFSMB and @FSMBPolicy).
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