Relevant Legislation and Committees
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee have jurisdiction over programmatic issues and reauthorization of the Public Health Service Act’s Title VII Health Professions Programs.
In November 2008, the Health Professions and Primary Care Reinvestment Act of 2008 (S. 3708/H.R. 7302) was introduced by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Diana DeGette. The bill would reauthorize the Title VII programs by amending the Public Health Service Act to expand and improve training for medical and dental heath professionals. It also improves recruitment and retention of health professionals (including underrepresented minorities), promotes distribution of health professionals in rural and underserved areas, and expands training opportunities in interdisciplinary areas such as geriatrics.
Background
The targeted federal support authorized through section 747 of the Public Health Service Act is the only federal funding available, on a competitive application basis, to PA educational programs. This funding is specifically targeted for primary care education and training programs and is designed to train PAs for practice in urban or rural medically underserved areas. The program is essential to the development and training of the nation’s health workforce and is critical to providing continued health services to underserved and minority communities.
The program was reauthorized in the 105th Congress through the Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998, P.L. 105-392, which streamlined and consolidated the federal health professions education programs. The Title VII reauthorization was for just five years, leaving the program unauthorized since 2003. While Congress can continue to provide funding for unauthorized programs, lack of authorization implies that these programs are not a priority and can negatively impact appropriations. Additionally, without the statutory review that the reauthorization process offers, the program can operate for years under outdated definitions or policies. There is a critical need to update and reinvigorate the Title VII program through reauthorization, in order to fully commit to increasing the supply, diversity, and distribution of PAs in medically underserved communities.
Recommendation
The Title VII Health Professions Programs should be reauthorized by the 111th Congress. Support for the education of primary care providers, with an emphasis on the recruitment of underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged populations, to deliver quality health care in medically underserved communities should remain the fundamental goal of the Title VII, Section 747 Program. Support for PA educational programs must be specified through the reauthorization process, with a defined funding authority for PA education. The current cluster of funding for primary care medicine and dentistry has allowed a sharp erosion of funding support for PA education. Finally, PA programs must be eligible to participate in all of Title VII programs, particularly loan repayments and fellowships for faculty positions and centers of excellence programs.
Justification
It is widely recognized that there are too few primary care providers, they are poorly distributed, and minority and disadvantaged students are inadequately represented in today’s health care professions. Title VII programs are essential to the training and delivery of primary health care professionals in medically underserved communities.
The PA education programs supported through Title VII stress educational experiences in both rural and urban areas that are medically underserved or facing shortages of qualified health professionals. Extra consideration is given to grant applications that demonstrate success in recruiting minorities into the profession. Through this targeted approach, the programs and the profession have been very effective at placing PAs in medically underserved communities.
Increased Title VII support for educating PAs to practice in underserved communities is particularly important given the market demand for physician assistants. Medically underserved communities need additional assistance to attract health care professionals. Title VII funding is a critical link in addressing geographic maldistribution of health care providers by exposing students to underserved sites during their training, where they frequently choose to practice following graduation. A review of PA graduates from 1990-2006 reveals that graduates from Title VII supported programs were 59% more likely to be from underrepresented minority backgrounds and 46% more likely to work in a Rural Health Clinic than graduates of programs that were not supported by Title VII. Currently, over one third of PAs met their first clinical employer through their clinical rotations.
Changes in the health care marketplace reflect a growing reliance on PAs as part of the health care team. Currently, the supply of PAs is inadequate to meet the needs of society, and the demand is expected to increase. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US News and World Report, and Money magazine all speak to the growth, demand, and value of the PA profession. Title VII has provided, and continues to provide, a crucial pipeline of highly-trained PAs to underserved areas.
For further information, please contact:
Kristin Butterfield, Assistant Director of Federal Affairs
American Academy of Physician Assistants
Telephone: 703/836-2272, ext. 3223
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sandy Harding, Director of Federal Affairs
American Academy of Physician Assistants
Telephone: 703/836-2272, ext. 3205
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
12/08
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee have jurisdiction over programmatic issues and reauthorization of the Public Health Service Act’s Title VII Health Professions Programs.
In November 2008, the Health Professions and Primary Care Reinvestment Act of 2008 (S. 3708/H.R. 7302) was introduced by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Diana DeGette. The bill would reauthorize the Title VII programs by amending the Public Health Service Act to expand and improve training for medical and dental heath professionals. It also improves recruitment and retention of health professionals (including underrepresented minorities), promotes distribution of health professionals in rural and underserved areas, and expands training opportunities in interdisciplinary areas such as geriatrics.
Background
The targeted federal support authorized through section 747 of the Public Health Service Act is the only federal funding available, on a competitive application basis, to PA educational programs. This funding is specifically targeted for primary care education and training programs and is designed to train PAs for practice in urban or rural medically underserved areas. The program is essential to the development and training of the nation’s health workforce and is critical to providing continued health services to underserved and minority communities.
The program was reauthorized in the 105th Congress through the Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998, P.L. 105-392, which streamlined and consolidated the federal health professions education programs. The Title VII reauthorization was for just five years, leaving the program unauthorized since 2003. While Congress can continue to provide funding for unauthorized programs, lack of authorization implies that these programs are not a priority and can negatively impact appropriations. Additionally, without the statutory review that the reauthorization process offers, the program can operate for years under outdated definitions or policies. There is a critical need to update and reinvigorate the Title VII program through reauthorization, in order to fully commit to increasing the supply, diversity, and distribution of PAs in medically underserved communities.
Recommendation
The Title VII Health Professions Programs should be reauthorized by the 111th Congress. Support for the education of primary care providers, with an emphasis on the recruitment of underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged populations, to deliver quality health care in medically underserved communities should remain the fundamental goal of the Title VII, Section 747 Program. Support for PA educational programs must be specified through the reauthorization process, with a defined funding authority for PA education. The current cluster of funding for primary care medicine and dentistry has allowed a sharp erosion of funding support for PA education. Finally, PA programs must be eligible to participate in all of Title VII programs, particularly loan repayments and fellowships for faculty positions and centers of excellence programs.
Justification
It is widely recognized that there are too few primary care providers, they are poorly distributed, and minority and disadvantaged students are inadequately represented in today’s health care professions. Title VII programs are essential to the training and delivery of primary health care professionals in medically underserved communities.
The PA education programs supported through Title VII stress educational experiences in both rural and urban areas that are medically underserved or facing shortages of qualified health professionals. Extra consideration is given to grant applications that demonstrate success in recruiting minorities into the profession. Through this targeted approach, the programs and the profession have been very effective at placing PAs in medically underserved communities.
Increased Title VII support for educating PAs to practice in underserved communities is particularly important given the market demand for physician assistants. Medically underserved communities need additional assistance to attract health care professionals. Title VII funding is a critical link in addressing geographic maldistribution of health care providers by exposing students to underserved sites during their training, where they frequently choose to practice following graduation. A review of PA graduates from 1990-2006 reveals that graduates from Title VII supported programs were 59% more likely to be from underrepresented minority backgrounds and 46% more likely to work in a Rural Health Clinic than graduates of programs that were not supported by Title VII. Currently, over one third of PAs met their first clinical employer through their clinical rotations.
Changes in the health care marketplace reflect a growing reliance on PAs as part of the health care team. Currently, the supply of PAs is inadequate to meet the needs of society, and the demand is expected to increase. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US News and World Report, and Money magazine all speak to the growth, demand, and value of the PA profession. Title VII has provided, and continues to provide, a crucial pipeline of highly-trained PAs to underserved areas.
For further information, please contact:
Kristin Butterfield, Assistant Director of Federal Affairs
American Academy of Physician Assistants
Telephone: 703/836-2272, ext. 3223
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sandy Harding, Director of Federal Affairs
American Academy of Physician Assistants
Telephone: 703/836-2272, ext. 3205
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
12/08
