2018 Pharmacist Licensure Survey Instrument

In 2018 all Pharmacists who biennially renewed their license electronically were invited to complete this voluntary Pharmacist Survey Instrument administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). The data used for the 2018 Pharmacist Data Report were extracted from the survey data from these files provided by IPLA through the Indiana State Department of Health.

Mental Health and Addiction Services Loan Repayment Assistance

The State of Indiana recognizes the importance of strengthening and retaining the behavioral health workforce in order to 1) tackle the opioid epidemic and 2) expand the workforce to areas in greatest need of mental health care. Financial incentives focused on workforce recruitment and/or retention are frequently used as a strategy to increase workforce capacity, reduce turnover, and reduce burnout. Student loan repayment assistance programs are one such strategy. These programs generally offer professionals relief from the administrative and economic stress of repaying student debt in exchange for practicing in underserved areas or with underserved populations for a specified time period.

In 2014, the Indiana Family and Social Services Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) implemented a Mental Health and Addiction Services Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) targeting behavioral health professionals. The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy (Bowen Center) was contracted by DMHA to perform an evaluation of the LRAP. The primary objectives of the evaluation were to 1) identify successful outcomes associated with the program and 2) determine areas in need of improvement. The following report describes the evaluation methods, discusses results, identifies successes, and offers recommendations for future program improvement

2018 Indiana Physician Workforce Fact Sheet

The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy (Bowen Center) has a rich history of collecting, analyzing and disseminating health workforce data and research for the State of Indiana. These efforts are important to informing health workforce policy and planning initiatives throughout the State. The physician workforce has long been regarded as the backbone of the health care system, making the collection and dissemination of timely data on supply and distribution critical to informing these initiatives. The 2017 Indiana Physician Fact Sheet presents key information collected from the physician licensure survey administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency during the biennial license renewal cycle. As of November 2017, 27,473 physicians renewed their Indiana medical license. Of these, 11,085 self-identified as actively practicing in medicine and had a license address located within the State of Indiana. Demographically, the majority of Indiana’s physician workforce is male, white and non-Hispanic. Data demonstrate demographic shifts are occurring among Indiana physicians as a larger percentage of female physicians are in younger age groups as compared to male physicians. This is expected as more female physicians are entering this workforce. Data on the practice characteristics, specialty and geographic distribution, of Indiana physicians suggest trends similar to those observed nationally. The majority of Indiana’s physician workforce is concentrated in populous, urban areas, and over 60% of physicians report a specialty other than a primary care (Family Medicine/General Practice, General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology) or psychiatric (Adult/Child Psychiatry) specialty. Additional details on the demographic and practice characteristics of Indiana’s physician workforce are described and presented in this report. In addition to providing information on the overall physician workforce, this report also contains sub-sections specifically dedicated to primary care physicians and psychiatrists. The 2017 Indiana Physician Fact Sheet is a snapshot of Indiana’s physician workforce and offers key information that can be used to determine the best practices for improving health care for Indiana residents.

Indiana Addiction Counselors: A Review and Recommendations for a Workforce at the Frontline of the Opioid Epidemic

The following recommendations for Indiana’s Addiction Counselor Workforce were generated as a result of findings within this report, including: review and analysis of licensure data, state statute & rules, a literature review on occupational regulation, stakeholder engagement, and national environmental scan. Recommendations represent the synthesis of the information presented throughout the report.

To provide public comment on this document, please email comment to the Bowen Center at bowenctr@iu.edu. Public comment will be uploaded to this homepage and Bowen Staff may publish responses to commentary.