MULTI-YEAR AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN (FY 2018-2022) ARIZONA MEDICAL BOARD And ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS Contact: Patricia E. McSorley, Executive Director Phone (480) 551-2720 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 26,000 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 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 well-being 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. 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 blasts1 FY 17 Goal FY 17 Actual FY 18 Goal FY 19 Goal FY 20 Goal FY 21 Goal FY 22 Goal 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 20 8 20 20 20 20 20 22 11 18 18 16 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 (e-licensing) renewal process for over nine years. The Agency continues to stabilize the system, ensuring on-line security for applicants and licensees who share confidential information with the Boards during the licensing and renewal processes as well as during financial transactions. The IT infrastructure continues to evolve as other electronic functions are made available to licensees and the public. The Agency’s implementation of an on-line portal for MD initial applications was launched in December 2015 with great success. This online process also provides a modern method for physicians to track the status of their application. The database utilized by the Agency tracks staff progress during the investigative and post adjudication processes, allowing for a more robust statistical data analysis and identification of potential process improvements. Our AZMD website underwent a complete makeover making searching it easier and more user friendly for the public and physicians to obtain information. The Agency is utilizing email alerts to disseminate information from the Agency as well as to provide licensees with important practice related information from the Department of Health Services. The Agency has also implemented a quarterly newsletter which is sent out to all physicians and is a useful vehicle to keep physicians informed about board activities, legislation, and any license-related updates. 2 Goal 2: To improve efficiency of licensing, regulatory, and information dissemination processes. Objective 2.1: To maintain or improve upon prior year performance levels in license processing. Objective 2.2: To improve maintain or approve upon prior year performance levels in complaint investigation and case resolution. 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 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 17 Goal FY 17 Actual FY 18 Goal FY 19 Goal FY 20 Goal FY 21 Goal FY 22 Goal 30 10 30 30 30 30 30 17 13 17 17 17 17 17 7 12 7 7 7 7 7 7.5 7.7 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 155 163 155 155 155 155 155 130 138 130 130 130 130 130 215 243 200 195 190 180 180 200 203 195 190 180 180 180 18 24 18 18 18 18 18 In June 2017, the Agency launched the Compact Medical License under its statutory agreement with the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC). Under the same legislation, our Agency will begin to offer a Temporary License, accepting applications in mid-August 2017. The Agency has also begun its implementation of the new fee waiver statute intended to create greater accessibility to low income applicants. Our Agency continues to utilize the LEAN principles which have not only assisted in reducing the number of applications in a deficient status; but it also resulted in improved and streamlined processes within the Licensing Department, through the creation of standard work procedures which in turn reduced the number of days to issue a license. The LEAN principles were instrumental in our Agency’s development of a hospital outreach program whereby licensing packets are distributed to hospital credentialing specialists to allow for early dissemination of material required in the licensing process. The goal is to encourage the applicant to simultaneously obtain the primary source documentation that may be needed for both licensing and hospital employment with the intent of reducing the number of days to issue a license. 3