The Utah Medical Education Council (UMEC) focuses its efforts in three major areas: (1) retaining the Utah trained healthcare workforce, (2) facilitating rural training opportunities, and (3) strengthening public-private partnerships. Additionally, the UMEC is identifying approaches that use revenue sources more efficiently to stabilize funding for clinical training programs. However, within the past year changes to rules by the CMS, combined with economic factors, have led to diminished funding to the UMEC from teaching hospitals. This funding comprised the Dedicated Credits Revenue for the Council.
During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $1,195,200 from all sources for Medical Education Council. This is a 1.2 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $573,700 from the General/Education Funds, an increase of 2.5 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.
In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:
Health Provider Ratio
The measure shows the number of Utah health providers. The largest group is patient care physicians.
![State Board of Regents Medical Education Council](media/HEdSBRMEC3.jpg)
Resident and Fellow Growth
The measure below shows the growth of residency and fellowship positions in Utah.
![State Board of Regents Medical Education Council](media/HEdSBRMEC1.jpg)
Retention
The measure below shows the retention rates of residents and fellows who received training in Utah.
![State Board of Regents Medical Education Council](media/HEdSBRMEC2.jpg)
Historically, federal funding for state medical education was sent directly to hospitals providing healthcare workforce training. As part of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Demonstration Project, the UMEC received and disbursed federal funds for Graduate Medical Education (GME) expenses allowing the UMEC to directly tie the funding of medical education to workforce needs. By utilizing data from workforce surveys prepared by the Department of Workforce Services and the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, the UMEC determines where the most critical healthcare workforce needs are in the state and enters into contractual agreements with institutions that provide medical education training. In this way, the UMEC helps to alleviate shortages of healthcare professionals, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The Medical Education Program funding consists of General Funds and Dedicated Credits (contracts and fees for services).
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.