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HD 1444

An Act establishing a community health center nurse practitioner residency program

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Russell Holmes and 2 co-sponsors

Massachusetts establishes a 24-month NP residency at community health centers, funded at $2.5M/year, with an 18-month CHC employment contract to expand primary care access.

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Bill Summary · HD 1444

Summary of Bill HD 1444: An Act Establishing a Community Health Center Nurse Practitioner Residency Program

Overview

HD 1444 proposes creating a state-funded residency program to recruit and retain nurse practitioners (NPs) at community health centers (CHCs) in Massachusetts. The program is designed to expand access to high-quality, community-based primary, preventive, and integrated care by fostering advanced training and sustained employment for recent NP graduates.

Purpose and Intent

  • Increase access to primary care by building a pipeline of well-trained NPs who remain employed at CHCs.
  • Enhance the quality of care through structured residency supervision, mentorship, and patient care experience in a CHC setting.
  • Align with federal resources by integrating graduate medical education efforts with CHCs.

Key Provisions

Residency Program (Section 80 of Chapter 118E)

  • Establish a 24-month post-graduate NP residency program administered by CHCs receiving a grant under 42 USC 254b.
  • Target participants: certified NPs who graduated from an accredited school of nursing within the past three years.
  • Structure: Residents will oversee patient panels under supervision/mentorship of a physician or another Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) at a CHC.
  • Employment commitment: Participants must enter into a contract with the CHC for at least 18 months of employment following the residency.

Licensure and Standards

  • The program must not conflict with existing licensure requirements or standards for advanced nursing practice (as defined by Chapters 94C or 112).

Funding (Section 2)

  • The Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (the division) must expend no less than $2,500,000 annually to support the program.
  • The division shall pursue federal Medicaid reimbursement for the program as graduate medical education (GME).

Administration and Regulation (Section 3)

  • The division shall promulgate regulations to implement the program, including grant guidelines and program details.
  • Regulations and guidelines must be in place no later than six months after the act’s passage.

Eligibility and Stakeholders

  • Eligible participants: NPs who recently graduated (within three years) from accredited programs.
  • Administering body: Community health centers that receive 254b grants.
  • Key stakeholders: NPs, CHCs, supervising physicians/APRNs, and state health financing authorities.

Timeline and Next Steps

  • Regulatory framework to be established within six months of enactment.
  • Ongoing annual funding commitment of at least $2.5 million, plus potential Medicaid GME recovery.

Potential Impacts

  • Short-term: Increased NP training capacity, enhanced primary care services at CHCs, and formalized pathways to CHC employment.
  • Long-term: Improved access to preventive and integrated care for communities served by CHCs, with potential cost offsets through improved health outcomes and GME funding alignment.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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