Expanding Healthcare Access Through Smarter Policy
Client Type: State Legislature
Industry: Government and Public Sector
Location: Texas, USA
Challenge
Texas faced a growing physician shortage, part of a nationwide trend projected to reach 187,000 fewer doctors by 2037 (AAMC). At the state level, many internationally trained physicians were unable to practice due to complex certification and licensure barriers, leaving valuable medical expertise untapped. Lawmakers needed a policy solution that could responsibly expand access to qualified doctors while maintaining high standards of care.
Approach
We served as the chief advisor on foreign physician pathways during the drafting of House Bill 2038. We guided the bill’s authors on the nuances of U.S. medical certification and licensure for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs), ensuring that legislative language reflected both accessibility and regulatory integrity. By translating complex regulatory processes into actionable policy insights, we helped lawmakers design legislation that directly addressed the physician shortage
Impact
HB 2038 was successfully passed, creating new opportunities for internationally trained physicians to contribute to Texas’s healthcare system. This outcome will not only strengthen the state’s medical workforce but will also expand healthcare access for patients — a model for how smart policy can address nationwide physician shortages.
