The Vermont Senate passed a bill, S.14, on Friday that would extend the scope of a program that helps doctors recover from substance abuse.
The voluntary Vermont Practitioner Health Program was designed to protect the public. Many doctors are referred to it by the Vermont Board of Medical Practice.
If the bill becomes law, Vermont doctors and physician assistants would be able to use the program for mental health and physical health needs. Currently, it is largely limited to substance abuse treatment.
“Now it would be expanded to anything that can impair your ability to practice medicine reasonably well and safely,” said Jessa Barnard, the lobbyist for the Vermont Medical Society.
The program is administered by the medical society and paid for through a surcharge on licensing fees.
Expanding the Vermont Practitioner Health Program has been a legislative priority this year for the medical society.
“Both the Board of Medical Practice and the Vermont Medical Society have been hearing about issues of physician burnout, physician stress, physician issues of anxiety, depression, impacting their ability to practice medicine,” Barnard said.
“This (bill) would provide those clinicians a better avenue to get referrals to care, to get evaluated for their ability to practice if it rises to that level,” she said.
The bill now moves over to the House.