ICS Represents Chiropractic at License Delay Hearing

Learn more from Ben Schwarm, Illinois Chiropractic Society Director of Government Relations, about the House Health Care Licenses Committee hearing in Chicago addressing substantial delays in medical license processing.

Transcript:

Hi, this is Ben Schwarm, Director of Government Relations for the Illinois Chiropractic Society. It is September 27. And I am in Chicago today because I attended the House Health Care Licenses Committee hearing. That was meeting today in Chicago to discuss the long delays that have been going on with the processing of medical licenses. The issue really came up in the spring during the committee hearings in the Capitol, and the ICS and various healthcare provider groups were talking to committee members about the seemingly endless time it was taking for new applicants to get their medical licenses.

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So, a hearing was held today and went on for two and a half hours. So, it was very substantive, and different members of health care provider organizations are on hand to give testimony, different hospital groups, pharmacists, and of course, the Department of Professional Regulation, and financial regulations. So, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a quick fix. The Secretary of the Department, Mario Treto, was saying that they are in desperate need of upgrading their computer software, and that system is outdated. And to replace it, it’s going to take time, they have to go through the state procurement process. jump through different hoops from the legislature and from the governor’s administration in order to do that.

So, in short, there were some recommendations for some short-term and long-term fixes to this problem. There will be more committee hearings in the future on this. And by everyone on hand, it was described as a crisis that had to be dealt with. So, we will keep you updated to see what’s coming next on this issue. But I think help is going to be on the way to fix this whole system of how we apply for and renew our medical licensure applications. Until then, I’ll see you bye.