Coleman, who is considered one of the leading health care experts in the Legislature, said the legislation he and Duncan worked on is a milestone. “This is a major shift in state policy,” Coleman said. “Doctors will have the choice between hanging up their own shingle, or, working directly for a hospital.” Jeff Barnhart, CEO of Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton, said he is just as happy that after years in the works, Duncan and Coleman finally succeeded. “In the future, when we need a doctor, this will make it easier for us to recruit and hire the doctor or doctors we need,” Barnhart said. Dr. Bruce Malone of Austin, who today becomes president of TMA — which in previous sessions opposed similar proposals Duncan and Coleman filed — said the 45,000-member organization supported the bill this year because it recognizes that rural hospitals “have special needs.”
Under current law, doctors shoulder the financial risk themselves if they choose to practice in under-served areas. For younger doctors carrying potentially hundreds of thousands in medical school debt, that risk is often simply too heavy. Another Coleman victory this session was the passage of Asher’s Law (HB 1386), which will provide new guidance and resources for Texas schools to help prevent suicide among students. This law, and a new anti-bullying law which was passed the same day, will ensure that more Texas youths have someplace (and someone) to turn to when it matters most: Tonight, the Senate voted 28-3 to pass a suicide prevention bill by Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. This is the bill that was originally called Asher’s Law in honor of Asher Brown, the 13-year gay youth from the Houston area who took his own life last year in response to bullying at school. Neither bill in its final form contains specific references or protections for LGBT youth. But the fact is that if they did, they wouldn’t have had any chance of passing the Republican-dominated Legislature. Daniel Williams at Legislative Queery reports on Coleman’s bill: HB 1386, the teen suicide prevention bill by Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) has passed the Texas Senate on a 28 to 3 vote. The bill instructs the Texas Department of State Health Services to develop resources designed to prevent teen suicide, including mental health counseling, crisis prevention tools and suicide prevention eduction. Schools would then have the option of implementing those programs, but would not be required to do so.
Congratulations to Rep. Coleman on these legislative victories, both of which were years in the making – Rep. Coleman is proving once again that he is a friend to the people of Texas. |
