1.This Act may be cited as the
Allied Health Reinvestment
Act
.
2.
(a)Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)The United States Census Bureau and other
reports highlight the increased demand for acute and chronic health care
services among both the general population and a rapidly growing aging portion
of the population.
(2)The calls for reduction in medical errors,
increased patient safety, and quality of care have resulted in an amplified
call for allied health professionals to provide health care services.
(3)Several allied health professions are
characterized by workforce shortages, declining enrollments in allied health
education programs, or a combination of both factors, and hospital officials
have reported vacancy rates in positions occupied by allied health
professionals.
(4)Many allied health education programs are
facing significant economic pressure that could force their closure due to an
insufficient number of students.
(b)It is the purpose of this Act to provide
incentives for individuals to seek and complete high quality allied health
education and training and provide additional funding to ensure that such
education and training can be provided to allied health students so that the
United States health care industry with have a supply of allied health
professionals needed to support the health care system of the United States in
this decade and beyond.
3.Amendment to the
Public Health Service
ActTitle VII of
the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C.
292 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
GAllied health professionals
799C.In this part:
(1)Allied health education
programThe term allied
health education program means any postsecondary educational program
offered by an institution accredited by an agency or commission recognized by
the Department of Education, or leading to a State certificate or license or
any other educational program approved by the Secretary. Such term includes
colleges, universities, or schools of allied health and equivalent entities
that include programs leading to a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or
graduate level degree in an allied health profession.
(2)Allied health professionsThe term allied health
professions includes professions in the following areas at the
certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or graduate level:
(A)Dental hygiene.
(B)Dietetics or nutrition.
(C)Emergency medical services.
(D)Health information management.
(E)Clinical laboratory sciences and medical
technology.
(F)Cytotechnology.
(G)Occupational therapy.
(H)Physical therapy.
(I)Radiologic technology.
(J)Nuclear medical technology.
(K)Rehabilitation counseling.
(L)Respiratory therapy.
(M)Speech-language pathology and
audiology.
(N)Any other profession determined appropriate
by the Secretary.
(3)The term health care facility
means an outpatient health care facility, hospital, nursing home, home health
care agency, hospice, federally qualified health center, nurse managed health
center, rural health clinic, public health clinic, or any similar health care
facility or practice that employs allied health professionals.
799C–1.Public service announcementsThe Secretary shall develop and issue public
service announcements that shall—
(1)advertise and promote the allied health
professions;
(2)highlight the advantages and rewards of the
allied health professions; and
(3)encourage individuals from diverse
communities and backgrounds to enter the allied health professions.
799C–2.State and local public service
announcements
(a)The Secretary shall award grants to
designated eligible entities to support State and local advertising campaigns
that are conducted through appropriate media outlets (as determined by the
Secretary) to—
(1)promote the allied health
professions;
(2)highlight the advantages and rewards of the
allied health professions; and
(3)encourage individuals from disadvantaged
communities and backgrounds to enter the allied health professions.
(b)To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an entity shall—
(1)be a professional, national, or State
allied health association, State health care provider, or association of one or
more health care facilities, allied health education programs, or other
entities that provides similar services or serves a like function; and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
799C–3.Allied health recruitment grant
program
(a)The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to increase allied health professions education
opportunities.
(b)To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an entity shall—
(1)be a professional, national, or State
allied health association, State health care provider, or association of one or
more health care facilities, allied health education programs, or other
eligible entities that provides similar services or serves a like function;
and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
(c)An entity shall use amounts received under
a grant under subsection (a) to—
(1)support outreach programs at elementary and
secondary schools that inform guidance counselors and students of education
opportunities regarding the allied health professions;
(2)carry out special projects to increase
allied health education opportunities for individuals who are from
disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities that are
underrepresented among the allied health professions) by providing student
scholarships or stipends, pre-entry preparation, and retention
activities;
(3)provide assistance to public and nonprofit
private educational institutions to support remedial education programs for
allied health students who require assistance with math, science, English, and
medical terminology;
(4)meet the costs of child care and
transportation for individuals who are taking part in an allied health
education program at any level; and
(5)support community-based partnerships
seeking to recruit allied health professionals in rural communities and
medically underserved urban communities, and other communities experiencing an
allied health professions shortage.
799C–4.Grants for health career academies
(a)The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to assist such entities in collaborating to carry out
programs that form education pipelines to facilitate the entry of students of
secondary educational institutions, especially underrepresented racial and
ethnic minorities, into careers in the allied health professions.
(b)To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an entity shall—
(1)be an institution that offers allied health
education programs, a health care facility, or a secondary educational
institution; and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
799C–5.Allied health education, practice, and
retention grants
(a)The Secretary may award grants to or enter
into contracts with eligible entities to—
(1)expand the enrollment of individuals in
allied health education programs, especially the enrollment of underrepresented
racial and ethnic minority students; and
(2)provide education through new technologies
and methods, including distance-learning methodologies.
(b)The Secretary may award grants to or enter
into contracts with eligible entities to—
(1)establish or expand allied health practice
arrangements in noninstitutional settings to demonstrate methods to improve
access to primary health care in rural areas and other medically underserved
communities;
(2)provide care for underserved populations
and other high-risk groups such as the elderly, individuals with HIV/AIDS,
substance abusers, the homeless, and victims of domestic violence;
(3)provide managed care, information
management, quality improvement, and other skills needed to practice in
existing and emerging organized health care systems; or
(4)develop generational and cultural
competencies among allied health professionals.
(c)
(1)The Secretary may award grants to and enter
into contracts with eligible entities to enhance the allied health professions
workforce by initiating and maintaining allied health retention programs
described in paragraph (2) or (3).
(2)Grants for career ladder
programsThe Secretary may
award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities for
programs—
(A)to promote career advancement for allied
health personnel in a variety of training settings, cross training or specialty
training among diverse population groups, and the advancement of individuals;
and
(B)to assist individuals in obtaining the
education and training required to enter the allied health professions and
advance within such professions, such as by providing career counseling and
mentoring.
(3)Enhancing patient care delivery
systems
(A)The Secretary may award grants to eligible
entities to improve the retention of allied health professionals and to enhance
patient care that is directly related to allied health activities by enhancing
collaboration and communication among allied health professionals and other
health care professionals, and by promoting allied health involvement in the
organizational and clinical decision-making processes of a health care
facility.
(B)In making awards of grants under this
paragraph, the Secretary shall give preferences to applicants that have not
previously received an award under this paragraph and to applicants from rural,
underserved areas.
(C)The Secretary shall make continuation of
any award under this paragraph beyond the second year of such award contingent
on the recipient of such award having demonstrated to the Secretary measurable
and substantive improvement in allied health personnel retention or patient
care.
(d)To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an entity shall—
(1)be a health care facility, or any
partnership or coalition containing a health care facility or allied health
education program; and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
799C–6.Developing models and best practices
program
(a)The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to enable such entities to carry out demonstration programs
using models and best practices in allied health for the purpose of developing
innovative strategies or approaches for the retention of allied health
professionals.
(b)To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an entity shall—
(1)be a health care facility, or any
partnership or coalition containing a health care facility or allied health
education program; and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
(c)In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall ensure that grantees represent a variety of geographic regions
and a range of different types and sizes of facilities, including facilities
located in rural, urban, and suburban areas.
(d)An entity shall use amounts received under
a grant under this section to carry out demonstration programs of models and
best practices in allied health for the purpose of—
(1)promoting retention and satisfaction of
allied health professionals;
(2)promoting opportunities for allied health
professionals to pursue education, career advancement, and organizational
recognition; and
(3)developing continuing education programs
that instruct allied health professionals in how to use emerging medical
technologies and how to address current and future health care needs.
(e)Area health education centersThe Secretary shall award grants to area
health education centers to enable such centers to enter into contracts with
allied health education programs to expand the operation of area health
education centers to work in communities to develop models of excellence for
allied health professionals or to expand any junior and senior high school
mentoring programs to include an allied health professions mentoring
program.
799C–7.Allied health faculty loan program
(a)The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may enter
into an agreement with any institution offering an eligible allied health
education program for the establishment and operation of a faculty loan fund in
accordance with this section (referred to in this section as the loan
fund
), to increase the number of qualified allied health
faculty.
(b)Each agreement entered into under this
section shall—
(1)provide for the establishment of a loan
fund by the institution offering the allied health education program
involved;
(2)provide for deposit in the loan fund
of—
(A)the Federal capital contributions to the
fund;
(B)an amount provided by the institution
involved which shall be equal to not less than one-ninth of the amount of the
Federal capital contribution under subparagraph (A);
(C)any collections of principal and interest
on loans made from the fund; and
(D)any other earnings of the fund;
(3)provide that the loan fund will be used
only for the provision of loans to faculty of the allied health education
program in accordance with subsection (c) and for the costs of the collection
of such loans and the interest thereon;
(4)provide that loans may be made from such
fund only to faculty who are pursuing a full-time course of study or, at the
discretion of the Secretary, a part-time course of study in an advanced degree
program; and
(5)contain such other provisions determined
appropriate by the Secretary to protect the financial interests of the United
States.
(c)Loans from any faculty loan fund
established pursuant to an agreement under this section shall be made to an
individual on such terms and conditions as the allied health education program
may determine, except that—
(1)such terms and conditions are subject to
any conditions, limitations, and requirements prescribed by the
Secretary;
(2)in the case of any individual, the total of
the loans for any academic year made by an allied health education program from
loan funds established pursuant to agreements under this section may not exceed
$30,000, plus any amount determined by the Secretary on an annual basis to
reflect inflation;
(3)upon completion by the individual of each
of the first, second, and third year of full-time employment, as required under
the loan agreement, as a faculty member in an allied health education program,
the program shall cancel 20 percent of the principal and interest due on the
amount of the unpaid portion of the loan on the first day of such
employment;
(4)upon completion by the individual of the
fourth year of full-time employment, as required under the loan agreement, as a
faculty member in an allied health education program, the program shall cancel
25 percent of the principal and interest due on the amount of the unpaid
portion of the loan on the first day of such employment;
(5)the loan may be used to pay the cost of
tuition, fees, books, laboratory expenses, and other reasonable education
expenses;
(6)the loan shall be repayable in equal or
graduated periodic installments (with the right of the borrower to accelerate
repayment) over the 10-year period that begins 9 months after the individual
ceases to pursue a course of study in an allied health education program;
and
(7)such loan shall—
(A)beginning on the date that is 3 months
after the individual ceases to pursue a course of study in an allied health
education program, bear interest on the unpaid balance of the loan at the rate
of 3 percent per year; or
(B)subject to subsection (e), if the allied
health education program determines that the individual will not complete such
course of study or serve as a faculty member as required under the loan
agreement under this subsection, bear interest on the unpaid balance of the
loan at the prevailing market rate.
(d)Payment of proportionate
shareWhere all or any part
of a loan (including interest thereon) is canceled under this section, the
Secretary shall pay to the allied health education program involved an amount
equal to the program’s proportionate share of the canceled portion, as
determined by the Secretary.
(e)At the request of the individual involved,
the Secretary may review any determination by an allied health education
program under this section.
799C–8.Scholarship program for service in rural
and other medically underserved areas
(a)The Secretary shall establish a scholarship
program (referred to in this section as the program
) to provide
scholarships to individuals seeking allied health education who agree to
provide service in rural and other medically underserved areas with allied
health personnel shortages.
(b)In awarding scholarships under this
section, the Secretary shall give preference to—
(1)applicants who demonstrate the greatest
financial need;
(2)applicants who agree to serve in health
care facilities experiencing allied health shortages in rural and other
medically underserved areas;
(3)applicants who are currently working in a
health care facility who agree to serve the period of obligated service at such
facility;
(4)minority applicants; and
(5)applicants with an interest in a practice
area of allied health that has unmet needs.
(c)
(1)Under the program, the Secretary shall
enter into contracts with eligible individuals under which such individuals
agree to serve as allied health professionals for a period of not less than 2
years at a health care facility with a critical shortage of allied health
professionals in consideration of the Federal Government agreeing to provide to
the individuals scholarships for attendance in an allied health education
program.
(2)In this subsection, the term eligible
individual means an individual who is enrolled or accepted for
enrollment as a full-time or part-time student in an allied health education
program.
(3)
(A)The Secretary may not enter into a contract
with an eligible individual under this section unless the individual agrees to
serve as an allied health professional at a health care facility with a
critical shortage of allied health professionals for a period of full-time
service of not less than 2 years, or for a period of part-time service in
accordance with subparagraph (B).
(B)An individual may complete the period of
service described in subparagraph (A) on a part-time basis if the individual
has a written agreement that—
(i)is entered into by the facility and the
individual and is approved by the Secretary; and
(ii)provides that the period of obligated
service will be extended so that the aggregate amount of service performed will
equal the amount of service that would be performed through a period of
full-time service of not less than 2 years.
(d)Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this part, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare
and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the
program carried out under this section, including statements regarding—
(1)the number of enrollees by specialty or
discipline, scholarships, and grant recipients;
(2)the number of graduates;
(3)the amount of scholarship payments
made;
(4)which educational institution the
recipients attended;
(5)the number and placement location of the
scholarship recipients at health care facilities with a critical shortage of
allied health professionals;
(6)the default rate and actions
required;
(7)the amount of outstanding default funds of
the scholarship program;
(8)to the extent that it can be determined,
the reason for the default;
(9)the demographics of the individuals
participating in the scholarship program; and
(10)an evaluation of the overall costs and
benefits of the program.
799C–9.Grants for clinical education, internship,
and residency programs
(a)The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to develop clinical education, internship, and residency
programs that encourage mentoring and the development of specialties.
(b)To be eligible for a grant under this
section an entity shall—
(1)be a partnership of an allied health
education program and a health care facility; and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
(c)An eligible entity shall use amounts
received under a grant under this section to—
(1)develop clinical education, internship, and
residency programs and curriculum and training programs for graduates of an
allied health education program;
(2)provide support for faculty and mentors;
and
(3)provide support for allied health
professionals participating in clinical education, internship, and residency
programs on both a full-time and part-time basis.
799C–10.
(a)The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to enable such entities to form partnerships to carry out the
activities described in this section.
(b)To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, and entity shall—
(1)be a partnership between an allied health
education program and a health care facility; and
(2)prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
(c)An eligible entity shall use amounts
received under a grant under this section to—
(1)provide employees of the health care
facility that is a member of the partnership involved advanced training and
education in a allied health education program;
(2)establish or expand allied health practice
arrangements in non-institutional settings to demonstrate methods to improve
access to health care in rural and other medically underserved
communities;
(3)purchase distance learning technology to
extend general education and training programs to rural areas, and to extend
specialty education and training programs to all areas; and
(4)establish or expand mentoring, clinical
education, and internship programs for training in specialty care areas.
799C–11.Allied health professions training for
diversityThe Secretary,
acting in conjunction with allied health professional associations, shall
develop a system for collecting and analyzing allied health workforce data
gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, other entities within the Department of Health and Human
Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, the Department of Defense, allied health professional
associations, and regional centers for health workforce studies to determine
educational pipeline and practitioner shortages, and project future needs for
such a workforce.
799C–12.Allied health professions training for
diversityThe Secretary shall
include schools of allied health among the health professions schools that are
eligible to receive grants under this part for the purpose of assisting such
schools in supporting Centers of Excellence in health professions education for
under-represented minority individuals.
799C–13.Reports by general accounting
officeNot later than 4 years
after the date of enactment of this part, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct an evaluation of whether the programs carried out under
this part have demonstrably increased the number of applicants to allied health
education programs and prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report concerning the results of such evaluation.
799C–14.Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part, such sums as may be
necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 through
2013.
.