I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5686 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to seek to employ physicians at the 

Department of Veterans Affairs on a without compensation basis in 

practice areas and specialties with staffing shortages and long appointment waiting times. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 12, 2014 

Mr. CULBERSON (for himself and Mr. O’ROURKE) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 

Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to 

seek to employ physicians at the Department of Veterans 

Affairs on a without compensation basis in practice areas 

and specialties with staffing shortages and long appointment waiting times. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Physician Ambas5 sadors Helping Veterans Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PHYSICIAN AMBASSADORS HELPING VETERANS 

2 PROGRAM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 

4 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec5 tion 7405 the following new section: 

6 ‘‘§ 7405A. Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans 

7 program 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to use 

9 the authority under section 7405 of this title to employ 

10 physicians on a without compensation basis in any prac11 tice area or speciality for which— 

12 ‘‘(1) the average waiting time for veterans seek13 ing an appointment with a physician in such practice 

14 area or specialty exceeds the waiting time goals es15 tablished by the Department; or 

16 ‘‘(2) the Department facility where the physi17 cian will be employed has demonstrated staffing 

18 shortages, as determined by the Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(b) VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS.—There shall be in 

20 each medical facility of the Department a volunteer coordi21 nator. The volunteer coordinator for a medical facility 

22 shall— 

23 ‘‘(1) seek to establish relationships with medical 

24 associations serving the area where the facility is lo25 cated; 


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1 ‘‘(2) recruit physicians for employment on a 

2 without compensation basis in the facility; and 

3 ‘‘(3) serve as the initial point of contact for 

4 physicians seeking employment on a without com5 pensation basis in the facility. 

6 ‘‘(c) QUALIFICATIONS.—A physician employed on a 

7 without compensation basis shall agree, as a condition of 

8 being granted a credential or privilege to practice medicine 

9 in a facility of the Department, to commit to serving a 

10 minimum of 40 hours in the facility during the 12-month 

11 period beginning on the date on which such credential or 

12 privilege is granted. 

13 ‘‘(d) CREDENTIALING PROCESS.—(1) The Secretary 

14 shall ensure that each physician who seeks employment 

15 at the Department on a without compensation basis re16 ceives a credential or privilege to practice medicine in the 

17 Department, or a decision that such a credential or privi18 lege will not be granted, by not later than 60 days after 

19 the date on which the physician requests such credential 

20 or privilege. 

21 ‘‘(2) The director of a medical facility of the Depart22 ment shall approve, and accept the services of, any physi23 cian who meets the qualifications under subsection (c) and 

24 receives a credential or privilege to practice medicine in 

25 the facility under paragraph (1). 


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1 ‘‘(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than March 31 of 

2 each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees 

3 on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committees on Appropria4 tions of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 

5 on physicians employed on a without compensation basis 

6 at the Department. Each such report shall include, for the 

7 year preceding the year during which the report is sub8 mitted, each of the following: 

9 ‘‘(1) The number of physicians employed on a 

10 without compensation basis by the Department in 

11 each of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks. 

12 ‘‘(2) Information about staffing levels and ap13 pointment waiting times for facilities located in each 

14 such Veterans Integrated Service Networks.’’. 

15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

16 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

17 after the item relating to section 7405 the following new 

18 item: 

‘‘7405A. Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program.’’. 

Æ 


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