The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, in its third day of setting state agency budgets, has voted unanimously in favor of Gov. Butch Otter’s recommendation for health education programs, including additional medical residency seats. Rep. Phylis King, D-Boise, said the proposals will help address Idaho’s physician shortage; Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, seconded the motion.

The budget for Health Education Programs for next year, including WWAMI and the University of Utah medical school program for Idaho residents, was set at $15,594,200 in state general funds, a 4.3 percent increase; and $15,905,800 in total funds, a 4.2 percent increase. That includes $2.4 million in increases, including two new second-year med school seats in the Utah program, updates and lab space for the WWAMI program, and expansions at the Boise Family Medicine Residency Program, the Boise Internal Medicine Program, and the Idaho State University Family Medicine  Residency Program. The expansions to the three-year residency programs will create 25 new residency seats annually, and at full buildout, will result in a total of 75 additional practicing residents.

Budgets set by JFAC still need passage in both houses and the governor’s signature to become law, but budgets bills rarely change once they’re set by the joint House-Senate committee.