Annual Layout 2017-2018_1-11-19

5 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 - 2018 Lucy C. Gee, MS Division Director As the Director of the Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA), it is my pleasure to present the 2017-2018 Annual Report and Long-Range Plan. As a large state that continues to grow, Florida has many unique challenges and opportunities. I am proud that our MQA team embraces these challenges, as well as the Department’s mission to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida. Regulatory efficiency remains a strategic priority. MQA’s ongoing goal is to license health care professionals in a more timely and efficient manner. During the 2017-2018 fiscal year, MQA licensed qualified initial applicants in 2.01 business days. The average time to process a license renewal was 0.36 days, which is well below our performance standard of one day. MQA implemented the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) this year. The eNLC allows qualified nurses who are licensed in 28 other participating states to practice in Florida without obtaining a Florida license. The compact also allows Florida nurses to receive a multi-state license to practice in other eNLC states. Nurses with a current Florida license have the option of converting their licenses to a multi-state license or retaining their Florida license. This will help offset the serious nursing shortage Florida faces by allowing out-of-state nurses to work in Florida. MQA is proud to offer several licensure services to qualified military families in Florida. One such service is the nationally recognized Veterans Application for Licensure Online Response system (VALOR), which provides expedited licensing for military veterans who apply six months before or after honorable discharge from active duty, as well as fee waiver eligibility for military veterans and their spouses applying for health care practitioner licensure up to 60 months after honorable discharge. The Department also offers additional armed forces licensure including the opportunity to receive a temporary certificate to practice in areas of need, renewal exemptions, and professional examination fee reimbursements. Since its inception, the VALOR system has saved thousands of dollars in licensure fees for veterans and their spouses. Also, the number of applications approved for health care licensure of military spouses and honorably discharged veterans increased significantly, while the timeframe to issue a new license decreased. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, MQA approved 359 VALOR applications, which far exceeded our target of 206. Ensuring the safety of all Floridians is of utmost importance for MQA. The Unlicensed Activity (ULA) program has been extremely active in their marketing efforts to educate the public about unlicensed health care activity and how to verify a provider’s licensure status. Billboards, transit ads, movie preview ads, and public service announcements have been implemented to spread awareness of the dangers of receiving unlicensed health care services. Social media messages are also utilized to share information about how to report unlicensed activity. These marketing efforts will continue in targeted areas of Florida for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, enabling the program to reach Floridians in both high traffic areas as well as more rural locations. I am very proud to have a team that is dedicated to having Florida remain the leader in health care quality regulation. We continue to remain focused upon our goal of keeping Floridians safe, healthy and working through integrated state, county, and community efforts. Division Director