Bill > LD1688

This bill requires three professional licensing boards in Maine (the Board of Osteopathic Licensure, the Board of Licensure in Medicine, and the State Board of Nursing) to encourage their licensees and relicensure applicants to participate in continuing education programs focused on specific infection-associated chronic conditions. These conditions include long COVID (defined as a group of persistent health problems that can develop after an initial COVID-19 infection and may last from weeks to years), chronic Lyme disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and dysautonomia. By adding language to existing statutes governing these professional boards, the bill aims to ensure that healthcare professionals stay informed about these complex medical conditions, which can have significant and long-lasting impacts on patients' health. The bill does not mandate the continuing education but instead uses language that requires the boards to "encourage" such educational opportunities, providing flexibility in implementation while emphasizing the importance of ongoing learning about these specific medical conditions.

Health and Social Services

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1688&snum=132