By Debra Messick

CAMBRIDGE - In his first term in the Maryland Legislature, Dorchester’s representative Delegate Thomas S. Hutchinson (District 37B), has been recognized as a health care legislation hero.

The Maryland Hospital Association announced that Hutchinson was set to receive its inaugural Rising Star Award at its Membership Meeting Reception Monday, June 10 at Baltimore’s Four Seasons Hotel.

Prior to the presentation, MHA staff issued comments explaining Hutchinson's selection.

“The MHA Rising Star Award acknowledges a newly elected delegate or senator who champions legislation that supports top-quality health care and access for every Marylander. This year MHA is pleased to honor Delegate Tom Hutchinson for his extensive contributions during his first-year term as a member of the Maryland General Assembly,” the statement read.

“Delegate Hutchinson’s leadership was invaluable in advancing a limited scope x-ray bill into law. This new law expands capabilities overall while providing access for patients, alleviating the ongoing radiological technician shortage, and creating new pathways for careers in health care,” according to the statement.

A letter informing Hutchinson of the award commended his invaluable leadership in “advancing hospital field priorities including greater access to health care and coverage, improving hospital emergency department throughput, and supporting Maryland’s health care workforce.”

Following his November 2022 election, Hutchinson was the only freshman delegate from the Shore appointed by Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones to serve on the prestigious Health and Government Operations Committee.

Hutchinson also serves on health-related subcommittees including Public Health and Minority Health Disparities, and Health Occupations and Long-Term Care.

He remains gratified to be able to draw on his 25-year career working with healthcare companies in order to help positively impact the state’s chronic shortage of providers, backlogged ER waiting times, and related issues.

Working diligently with MHA and other stakeholders, Hutchinson sponsored HB934, State Board of Physicians - Performance of X-ray duties without a license.

HB934 addresses the significant shortage of radiologic technicians statewide, allowing physician offices and urgent care centers to train and employ limited scope X-ray machine operators without requiring a license, Hutchinson said.

The bill states which procedures the limited scope operators are able to perform, including those related to the chest, spine, upper and lower extremities.

They would be restricted from taking the following types of X-rays: Mammography, Fluoroscopy, Computerized or not computerized tomography, invasive radiology, nuclear medicine, Radiation therapy, or Xerography.

The bill passed and takes effect January 2025.

Hutchinson co-sponsored another successfully passed legislative initiative, HB 806, the Physician Assistant Modernization Act of 2024, allowing physician assistants to practice “advanced procedures” in a hospital, ambulatory surgery center, and/or federally qualified health center after 7000 hours of clinical practice and proper training.

“It’s probably been 20 years since any change was made in this area,” Hutchinson said. “This will help change the scope of and address our acute primary care practitioner shortage on the Shore.”

HB 1143, establishing the Maryland Emergency Department Wait Time Reduction Committee, is another bill Hutchinson was enthusiastic to co-sponsor and support.

The bill, which passed, is designed to address factors throughout the health care system contributing to increased emergency department wait times.

Maryland has some of the longest such wait times nationwide, Hutchinson wrote in his April 2024 end of session newsletter. “Unfortunately, University of Maryland Shore Health in Easton has the worst wait times statewide. I look forward to reading the Commission’s interim report in November 2025 and final report November 2026,” he wrote.