to Hardon and others:J1 Extension

[Dr.B.]

On December 3, 2004, the President signed a law which both extended and expanded the state and federal J waiver programs for physicians. The law extends the Conrad 30 programs for another two years until 2006 and allows each Conrad state to sponsor up to five physicians who practice medicine outside of a HPSA/MUA but whose patients are primarily located in HPSAs and MUAs. The law also provides that physicians in H-1B status who have received J waivers are not subject to the H-1B numerical cap,and that federal agencies are now free to sponsor physicians who are specialists for J waivers.

1.
Will I be eligible for this change --if I sign a contract in summer of 2006 (after 2 years of Fellowship-graduating in 2007) and match with Conrad 30 here in MA? Or in other words--will this change be vaild next year as well?
2.
My faculty is offering me a position here in Boston-but they are concerned about my J1. Will the above change in the law - make their/our life easier in terms of J1 paperwork?

Many thanks for your response!!!!

 

[hadron]

I never understood the way how the extensions for the J1 program work. It has something to do with when you start in J1 status.

The extension mentioned is the current law. The new thing was that specialists can be officially sponsored and that there are 5 slots per state that can be located outside of an actual HPSA/MUA.

(Please, if you have US citizen friends. Ask them to contribute generously to Kent Conrad's re-election campaign. Just google 'friends of Kent Conrad', they are located in Bismarck and on Connecticut Ave in DC)

In Mass, your chances to get a J1 are a lot better in western mass than in Boston. Boston is brimming with physicians of any specialty, I don't think the department of health is terribly interested in 'improving' the supply there.

 

[Dr.B.]

>>>The extension mentioned is the current law. The new thing was that specialists can be officially sponsored and that there are 5 slots per state that can be located outside of an actual HPSA/MUA.
SO , ONE CAN WORK W UNIV BASED SATELITE CLINICS?

>>>(Please, if you have US citizen friends. Ask them to contribute generously to Kent Conrad's re-election campaign. Just google 'friends of Kent Conrad', they are located in Bismarck and on Connecticut Ave in DC)
THEY'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE FOR MANY YRS, AS YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PREVIOUS POSTS,I PICKED A BILL FOR MENY DINNERS, AFTER THE DONATION WAS MAILED....

In Mass, your chances to get a J1 are a lot better in western mass than in Boston. Boston is brimming with physicians of any specialty, I don't think the department of health is terribly interesting in 'improving' the supply there.[/QUOTE]

 

[hadron]

pssst, there can't be any nexus between you giving them anything of financial value and them making a contribution

 

[hadron]

SO , ONE CAN WORK W UNIV BASED SATELITE CLINICS?

Yes but: You either have to proove that the clinic is located IN a HPSA/MUA (I assume mental health hpsa in your case) OR that it serves a population drawn from an underserved service area. (this was made to account for downtown hospitals which serve a hpsa population but due to the mass of physicians at a typical hospital is located in a non-underserved census tract)

In the end, most of this is up to the state health department. Have your prospective employer (or their attorney) talk to the Doh. Towards the employer, they are usually willing to give information as to what they will accept and what they don't.

I know someone who did his J1 waiver as a specialist at a hospital in Springfield,MA many years ago. Back then, specialists had a hell of a time to get waivers and MA was willing to do it. But from dealing with them he told me that they where very interested in improving the physician supply in western mass and much more accomodating than for any other area of the state.