1.This Act may be cited as the
Veteran Medic Corpsmen Physician Assistant Demonstration
Program Act of 2010
.
2.Physician
assistant military pathways program
(a)Subject to the availability of appropriations provided
for such purpose, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the
Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, shall establish a program in accordance with this section to
examine methods of enabling eligible individuals to build on medical skills
gained through military jobs by entering into the physician assistant workforce
to meet the demand for physician assistants.
(b)In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall conduct a study that includes examination of the following:
(1)Whether the demonstration projects carried
out under subsection (c) are effective in improving the ability of eligible
individuals to become licensed physician assistants, and what modifications to
the demonstration projects are necessary to meet that goal.
(2)Ways of bringing
the demonstration projects carried out under subsection (c) to the attention of
eligible individuals, including through information provided to eligible
individuals by—
(A)the Department of
Defense transition program known as the Transition Assistance Program, carried
out under section 1144 of title 10, United States Code; and
(B)the Department of
Labor veterans transition program carried out under chapter 41 of title 38,
United States Code.
(3)Whether eligible individuals participating
in a demonstration project carried out under subsection (c) are receiving the
educational support services they need in order to complete their physician
assistant education and obtain certification, and what further steps the
Secretary should take in order to ensure that those eligible individuals have
access to such support services.
(4)Whether the
program established under this section could serve as a model for new programs
to assist eligible individuals in obtaining certification in other health care
fields.
(c)Grants for
demonstration projects
(1)The Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis,
to eligible entities to carry out demonstration programs in accordance with
this subsection.
(2)
(A)An eligible entity
receiving a grant under this subsection shall use funds from such grant to
establish a demonstration program that enables eligible individuals to receive
academic credit from an accredited physician assistant program based on the
military credentials and medical skills experience of the eligible
individual.
(B)In admitting
eligible individuals into a demonstration program carried out with funds
received under this subsection, an eligible entity shall give priority to
eligible individuals who serve or have served as a paramedic or other similar
medical support position in the Armed Forces.
(C)Examination
eligibility requirementAn eligible entity shall ensure that an
eligible individual participating in a demonstration program carried out with
funds received under this section is eligible to take the Physician Assistant
National Certifying Exam administered by the National Commission on
Certification of Physician Assistants upon completion of the program.
(3)To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, including—
(A)information
demonstrating—
(i)the
capability of the eligible entity to work with eligible individuals;
(ii)a
history of effective collaboration between the eligible entity and—
(I)health care
employers; and
(II)State medical
licensing boards, as appropriate; and
(B)an assurance that
the eligible entity will participate in any evaluations by the Secretary of the
demonstration program carried out with funds received under this subsection,
including participating in reporting as required by the Secretary.
(4)The Secretary shall
establish selection criteria for eligible entities consistent with this
subsection, and shall ensure that the criteria give priority to eligible
entities showing the ability to sustain a demonstration program developed under
this subsection after the expiration of the grant period.
(d)The Secretary
shall provide technical assistance to eligible entities receiving grants under
this subsection.
(e)
(1)Not later than one year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress and Federal agencies a report on the
findings and outcomes of the program carried out under this section.
(2)The
Secretary shall include in each report submitted under this subsection—
(A)the results of the
study conducted under subsection (b); and
(B)information
pertaining to each eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (c)
regarding the number of eligible individuals referred to, accepted into, and
graduating from, the demonstration program carried out by the eligible
entity.
(3)The
Secretary shall distribute a report submitted under this subsection to
veterans’ service organizations and State medical licencing boards.
3.In this Act, the following definitions
apply:
(1)The term eligible individual
means an
individual with medical or health professional experience gained while serving
in the Armed Forces who—
(A)has received a
certificate, associate degree, baccalaureate degree, master's degree, or
post-baccalaureate training in a science relating to health care;
(B)has participated
in the delivery of health care services or related medical services, including
participation in military training relating to the identification, evaluation,
treatment, and prevention of disease and disorders; and
(C)does not
have—
(i)a
degree of doctor of medicine;
(ii)a
degree of doctor of osteopathy; or
(iii)a
degree of doctor of dentistry.
(2)The term eligible entity
means an
institution of higher education with a physician assistant program that is
accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the
Physician Assistant.
4.Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $4,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2012 through 2016.