MULTI-YEAR AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN (FY 2017-2021) ARIZONA MEDICAL BOARD And ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS Contact: Patricia E. McSorley, Executive Director Phone (480) 551-2791 A.R.S. §32-1401 et.seq. and A.R.S. §32-2501 et.seq. Mission: The mission of the agency is to protect public safety through the judicious licensing, regulation, and education of physicians and physician assistants. Vision: Protection of the Public through Regulatory Excellence Agency Description: The Agency staff supports two Boards – the Arizona Medical Board, which licenses and regulates allopathic physicians (“MDs”), and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants, which licenses and regulates physician assistants. The Agency processes applications for licenses, handles public complaints against licensees, and disseminates information pertaining to licensees and the regulatory process. The two Boards determine and administer disciplinary action in the event of proven violations of their respective practice acts. Together, the Boards regulate over 25,000 licensees. Agency Core Values: • Public Protection • Integrity and Teamwork • Competent, Courteous and Professional Service • Responsible Fiscal Management Strategic Issues: Issue #1: Consolidation of essential Agency functions focused on public protection through the examination of regulatory issues, ongoing education of staff and Agency Board members, active dissemination of public information, and public outreach. The Arizona Medical Board and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants continually strive to proactively explore areas influencing healthcare delivery and public safety. The Boards focus on essential agency functions and concentrate on those matters that directly affect the health and wellbeing of the people of Arizona. The Boards will continue their advances toward providing clear direction through policy and statutory initiative, participating in ongoing educational opportunities and advances in streamlined regulation, and staying on the forefront of providing public information that affects healthcare decision making. 1 Goal 1: To increase activities devoted to addressing public safety, healthcare and regulatory issues of importance to licensees, stakeholders, and the general public through collaboration with others, policy making, and information dissemination Objective 1.1: Increase time spent addressing public safety, healthcare or regulatory issues through subcommittee discussion and adoption of relevant substantive policy statements and rules. Objective 1.2: Increase the availability of educational and regulatory information to licensees, stakeholders, and the general public Strategic Plan Measurement Number of substantive policy statements, guidelines, rules, or rule revisions adopted Number of instances where a Board or staff member attends a professional training event relevant to the Board’s functions and or the appropriate delivery of healthcare. Number of public awareness activities, training opportunities, and other public notifications published on the Board website or transmitted to licensees via email blasts 1 FY 16 Goal FY 16 Actual FY 17 Goal FY 18 Goal FY 19 Goal FY 20 Goal FY 21 Goal 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 20 65 20 20 20 20 20 25 13 22 18 18 16 16 Issue #2: Stabilization of database infrastructure to support e-licensing, regulatory, and information dissemination processes, as well as, increased capacity for performance measurement through enhanced information technology applications The Agency has had a successful electronic licensing renewal (e-licensing) for over eight years. The Agency continues to stabilize the system to ensure on-line security as applicants and licensees share confidential information with the Boards during the licensing and renewal processes and as financial transactions take place. IT infrastructure will continue to evolve as other electronic functions are made available to licensees and the public as well. The Agency implemented the on-line initial MD Application in December 2015. This online process provides a method for physicians to track the status of their application. The database also tracks staff progress during investigation and post adjudication processes. This allows for a more robust statistical data analysis and potential identification of process improvement. Goal 2: processes. To improve efficiency of licensing, other regulatory measures, and information dissemination Objective 2.1: To maintain or improve upon prior year performance levels in license processing. Objective 2.2: To maintain or approve upon prior year performance levels in complaint investigation and case resolution. 1 Publications are based on actual need and material for communication. The key is managing consistent and important information relay. 2 Objective 2.3: To maintain or improve upon prior year performance levels in responding to public information requests. Strategic Plan Measurement Average time to approve an MD license from receipt of application Average time to approve a PA license from receipt of application Average number of days to process an initial medical doctor application upon receipt of a completed application (locked budget measure) Average score of agency-wide customer service satisfaction surveys (scale of 1-8)(locked budget measure) Average number of days to complete a MD investigation (locked budget measure) Average number of days to complete a PA investigation (locked budget measure) Average number of days to resolve a MD case (locked budget measure) Average number of days to resolve a PA case (locked budget measure) Number of MD cases referred to formal hearing (locked budget measure) FY 16 Goal FY 16 Actual FY 17 Goal FY 18 Goal FY 19 Goal FY 20 Goal FY 21 Goal 30 19 30 30 30 30 30 17 11 17 17 17 17 17 7 9 7 7 7 7 7 7.5 7.3 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 140 176 155 155 155 155 155 130 154 140 140 140 140 140 180 264 215 200 195 190 180 180 201 200 195 190 180 180 20 12 18 18 18 18 18 New processes were implemented to satisfy statutory and regulatory requirements. In FY 2015, the Agency was selected to participate in the Government Transformation Office’s Wave 2 Permit Blitz (“Lean Process”). The Agency’s involvement in the Lean Process allowed it to examine the licensing process and other areas with the goal of eliminating any non-value added requirements. For licensing, this was geared to reduce the number of days to license a physician over the next fiscal year. In particular, the Agency was able to implement new processes which include the simultaneous processing of MD license application in conjunction with the Licensing Investigations. This often reduces the number of days in deficient status decreasing the number of days to approve a license. Additionally, a pilot program completed in FY 2016 that resulted in a reduction of the total time to approve a license to within 71 days on average. This is a vast improvement from the start of the Lean Process. Overall, the business perspective to departmental processes and procurement matters should greatly improve outcomes. It should also allow the Agency flexibility to meet constituent needs while protecting the public health and wealth fare of Arizona citizens, residents and visitors. 3