Sec. 104.0421.  STATEWIDE DATA COLLECTION AND COORDINATION.  (a)  The statewide health coordinating council shall work with appropriate health professional licensing agencies to develop uniform standards for health professional data collected by those agencies to enable the council to maintain a comprehensive health professional database.
(b)  The council shall retrieve data on health professionals from the appropriate licensing agencies.  The council may seek the assistance of the appropriate licensing agency or department in the retrieval of data on health professionals.
(c)  The council shall monitor and evaluate long-term regional, statewide, and local health needs.  The council shall use this evaluation for developing recommendations relating to health education, training, and regulation.
(d)  The council shall use data collected under this section to develop workforce goals for health professionals and to recommend the appropriate level and distribution of state funding for education and training to achieve these goals.  The council shall evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of the recommendations made under this subsection.
(e)  The council shall, with the assistance of higher education agencies and institutions, area health education centers, teaching hospitals, and health education institutions, improve coordination of statewide health planning.  The council may seek the assistance of the National Association of Health Data Organizations, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Council of State Legislatures, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the Association of American Health Centers, and any other appropriate entities.
(f)  The department shall continue to assist the council and the health professions resource center with the development of the state health plan.  The council shall coordinate related health planning functions within the department.  The staff of the health professions resource center shall continue to be department employees but are governed by the council. 
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1386, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 797 (S.B. 1326), Sec. 8, eff. June 19, 2009.