18A:64H-1. Legislative findings and declarations

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that:

a. There is need to establish State support for a system of graduate medical education;

b. There is at present a serious deficiency in the number of practicing primary-care (family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics) physicians in certain geographic areas and among certain specialty-care physicians in the State;

c. In recognition of the need to provide educational programs to provide more trained physicians for the State, the State, through the passage of the "Medical and Dental Education Act of 1970," P.L.1970, c. 102 (C. 18:64G-1 et seq.) has created and supports medical schools under the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey as a matter of public policy of the State;

d. In recognition of the State's concern with respect to health care needs, the State, through the passage of the "Health Care Facilities Planning Act," P.L.1971, c. 136 (C. 26:2H-1 et seq.) has mandated health planning, hospital and health related services in all public and private institutions as a matter of public policy;

e. The mechanism to provide programs and facilities for graduate medical education is intimately related to the provision of training programs by private nonprofit and public hospitals throughout the State. Thus, while the methodology for financing undergraduate medical education has been provided, the equally important methodology for financing programs of graduate medical education is lacking;

f. Increasing financial limitations have made it extremely difficult for such private nonprofit and public hospitals to provide educational programs of high quality to attract graduates of the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and other American medical schools. New Jersey residents are also forced to seek graduate medical education in out-of-state medical schools, such individuals rarely returning to practice their profession within the State; and

g. Financial aid to private nonprofit and public hospitals providing graduate medical education programs would additionally provide improvement of such institutions as high quality medical education centers and thereby serve to improve the retention rate of physicians within the State, and attract graduate physicians to nationally accredited graduate medical training programs, as well as to the practice of their professions within the communities served by such institutions.

L.1977, c. 390, s. 1, eff. Feb. 23, 1978.