Lawmakers weigh expanding provider scope and tackling behavioral health training shortages

Mike Smith, a commissioner with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), told the committee the best way to retain behavioral‑health professionals is "to give them a little taste of Wyoming." He said Wyoming currently offers only a few in‑state internship slots for psychologists and clinical trainees — three slots were cited for the state — while hundreds of trainees nationwide lack placements.

Melinda Carroll, legislative director and a practicing pharmacist for the Wyoming Pharmacy Association, urged modernizing the pharmacy practice act so pharmacists can provide “test and treat” services and other primary‑care functions in underserved areas. Carroll said Wyoming has about 88 pharmacists per 100,000 people compared with some 76 primary‑care providers per 100,000, arguing pharmacists could help close access gaps if state scope‑of‑practice rules are updated and federal Medicare billing changes are matched by state authorization.

Witnesses also raised the possibility of increasing dental‑hygienist scope and joining a physician‑assistant licensing compact as part of the Department of Health’s rural‑health transformation policy options. Committee members heard that any practice‑act changes would require stakeholder engagement and careful statutory drafting.

What’s next: The Department of Health and the Department of Workforce Services were asked to provide data on training‑slot capacity, accreditation barriers and options used by other states to expand clinical placements and scope-of-practice changes.