[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H7132-H7133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERANS-SPECIFIC EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW'S HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ACT
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 2787) to establish in the Department of Veterans
Affairs a pilot program instituting a clinical observation program for
pre-med students preparing to attend medical school, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows
H.R. 2787
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans-Specific Education
for Tomorrow's Health Professionals Act'' or the ``Vet HP
Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM FOR CLINICAL OBSERVATION
BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.
It is the sense of Congress that the pilot program
described in section 3(a) should be designed to--
(1) increase the awareness, knowledge, and empathy of
future health professionals toward the health conditions
common to veterans;
(2) increase the diversity of the recruitment pool of
future physicians of the Department; and
(3) expand clinical observation opportunities for all
students by encouraging students of all backgrounds to
consider a career in the health professions.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM FOR
CLINICAL OBSERVATION BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
carry out a pilot program for a one-year period, beginning
not later than August 15, 2021, to provide certain students
described in subsection (d) a clinical observation experience
at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) Medical Center Selection.--The Secretary shall carry
out the pilot program under this section at not fewer than
five medical centers of the Department. In selecting such
medical centers, the Secretary shall ensure regional
diversity among such selected medical centers.
(c) Clinical Observation Sessions.--
(1) Frequency and duration.--In carrying out the pilot
program, the Secretary shall--
(A) provide at least one and not more than three clinical
observation sessions at each medical center selected during
each calendar year;
(B) ensure that each clinical observation session--
(i) lasts between four and six months; and
(ii) to the extent practicable, begins and ends
concurrently with one or more academic terms of an
institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); and
(C) ensure that the clinical observation sessions provided
at a medical center have minimal overlap.
(2) Sessions.--The Secretary shall ensure that the pilot
program consists of clinical observation sessions as follows:
(A) Each session shall allow for not fewer than five
students nor greater than 15 students to participate in the
session.
(B) Each session shall consist of not fewer than 20
observational hours nor greater than 40 observational hours.
(C) A majority of the observational hours shall be spent
observing a health professional. The other observational
hours shall be spent in a manner that ensures a robust, well
rounded experience that exposes the students to a variety of
aspects of medical care and health care administration.
(D) Each session shall provide a diverse clinical
observation experience.
(d) Students.--
(1) Selection.--The Secretary shall select to participate
in the pilot program under subsection (a) students who are--
(A) nationals of the United States;
(B) enrolled in an accredited program of study at an
institution of higher education; and
(C) referred by their institution of higher education
following an internal application process.
(2) Priority.--In making such selection, the Secretary
shall give priority to each of the following five categories
of students:
(A) Students who, at the time of the completion of their
secondary education, resided in a health professional
shortage area (as defined in section 332 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e)).
(B) First generation college students (as defined in
section 402A(h)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1067q(a))).
(C) Students who have been referred by minority-serving
institutions (as defined in section 371(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a))).
(D) Veterans (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United
States Code).
(E) Students who indicate an intention to specialize in a
health professional occupation identified by the Inspector
General of the Department under section 7412 of title 38,
United States Code, as having a staffing shortage.
(3) Assignment to medical centers.--The Secretary shall
assign students selected under paragraph (1) to medical
centers selected under subsection (b) without regard for
whether such medical centers have staffing shortages in any
health professional occupation pursuant to section 7412 of
title 38, United States Code.
(e) Other Matters.--In carrying out the pilot program under
this section, the Secretary shall--
(1) establish a formal status to facilitate the access to
medical centers of the Department by student observers
participating in the pilot program;
(2) establish standardized legal, privacy, and ethical
requirements for the student observers, including with
respect to--
(A) ensuring that no student observer provides any care to
patients while participating as an observer; and
(B) ensuring the suitability of a student to participate in
the pilot program to ensure that the student poses no risk to
patients;
(3) develop and implement a partnership strategy with
minority-serving institutions to encourage referrals;
(4) create standardized procedures for student observers;
(5) create an online information page about the pilot
program on the internet website of the Department;
(6) publish on the online information page created under
paragraph (5) the locations of such centers, and other
information on the pilot program, not later than 180 days
before the date on which applications are required to be
submitted by potential student observers;
(7) identify medical centers and specific health
professionals participating in the pilot program; and
(8) notify the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House
of Representatives and the Senate of the medical centers
selected under subsection (c) within 30 days of selection, to
facilitate program awareness.
(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion
of the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the
results of the pilot program, including--
(1) the number and demographics of all applicants, those
accepted to participate in the pilot program, and those who
completed the pilot program; and
(2) if participating institutions of higher education
choose to administer satisfaction surveys that assess the
experience of those who completed the pilot program, the
results of any such satisfaction surveys, provided at the
discretion of the institution of higher education.
SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out the requirements of this Act. Such requirements
shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2787, as amended, the
Veterans-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals Act.
The bill would create a pilot program to provide undergraduate students
with a clinical observation experience at the Department of Veterans
Affairs medical centers.
The pilot would give prospective providers a window into the
healthcare profession that would help inform their educational paths
and careers. It would also provide them an early introduction to both
the VA healthcare system and the medical conditions common among our
Nation's veterans.
VA has a number of recruitment and retention challenges, one of which
is an aging workforce that is increasingly retirement eligible. Given
that, it is imperative that VA take every available opportunity to
engage young clinicians and make a concerted effort to attract them to
a career serving veterans within the VA healthcare system.
This bill is sponsored by the Congresswoman from Ohio, Marcy Kaptur,
and I appreciate her efforts. I urge my colleagues to support this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H7133]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2787, as amended, the Vet MD
Act.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, like the Nation, is experiencing
a shortage of healthcare providers. With shortages in areas like mental
healthcare and medical administration, it can become increasingly
difficult to maintain a facility's efficiency and quality. That is why
it is increasingly important to promote medical education and
employment within VA as soon in a student's educational career as is
possible.
This bill allows VA to capture students as they complete their
premedical undergraduate degrees by offering them the opportunity to
shadow medical professionals in VA facilities. Not only does this
create a familiarity with VA among the students, but allows VA to
continue to do one of the things it does best: educate the Nation's
future healthcare providers.
I appreciate the hard work of my colleague, Representative Kaptur,
and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Vet MD Act.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the author of this bill.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Takano for his great
support and for yielding me the time, and I thank Chairman Roe very
much for moving this bill through his committee.
H.R. 2787, the Vet MD Act, also called the Veterans-Specific
Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals Act, I am honored to
speak on its behalf this evening.
The Vet MD Act works to break down barriers and expand opportunities
for healthcare professionals to get training to care for our veterans.
The bill creates a 3-year pilot program for pre-health undergraduate
students to gain clinical observation experience within at least five
VA medical centers.
Health schools recommend or require clinical observation hours, but
there is no formal process to apply for these hours. Opportunities to
shadow are limited and are based on where you go to school or whom you
know; and students who attend schools outside major cities, as well as
those whose families lack connections to the medical community, find it
harder and harder to shadow and are disadvantaged in medical school
admissions. This places an unfair burden on otherwise qualified
students who come from less affluent communities or rural areas.
Several years ago, two premedical undergraduate students highlighted
to my team the struggles disadvantaged, minority, and other young
people who lack personal connections face as they apply for medical
school. So I thank Seamus Carragher and Andrew Frank for bringing this
serious omission to our attention, and I thank Carrie Swope, my
legislative assistant, on this important issue, for her work
throughout.
Through their own struggle, these students struggled to gain access
to clinical observation, experience so critical in medical circles, and
they realized an immense opportunity was missing. The bill prioritizes
students in medically underserved areas; first-generation college
students, of which I was one; students referred by minority-serving
institutions; and, of course, veterans.
The Vet MD Act creates a pipeline for future physicians and medical
professionals and prioritizes training for students who specialize in a
health profession where there is a serious staffing shortage. This
important step will help narrow the gap and ensure we are training pre-
health students in careers that are in demand and necessary.
I can tell you, in every hospital system I represent, there is an
unmet demand. Thousands and thousands of individuals are needed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 45 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Ohio.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, importantly, pre-health students in the
pilot will gain a deeper understanding of veterans' specific health
needs and experiences, which is critical for health professionals who
treat veterans, many of whom have complex conditions, as the chair and
ranking member know.
One of our top responsibilities as a Congress is to ensure that our
veterans, those who have sacrificed so much for our country and for
liberty's cause, receive high-quality healthcare from highly trained
health professionals. This bill furthers that effort, and I am pleased
it will get a vote this evening.
I thank my colleagues: Mr. Takano, for his diligent work on this
bill; Ranking Member Walz; and Chairman Roe, for bringing this bill to
the floor so expeditiously. On behalf of our health professionals, our
veterans, myself, and all the cosponsors, I can't thank you enough.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I
am prepared to close.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as I was listening to my friend from the State of Ohio,
I was struck by just how the process of legislating in this body works,
how ideas come from very real people seeking to solve problems through
their Representative. And I watched this legislation move through
committee, the gentlewoman graciously accepting the changes and
approving the bill.
I know that my colleague from Tennessee, a doctor himself, cares so
much about medical education. We worked together on expanding the
number of medical residencies.
I am delighted this bill has come to the floor so expeditiously.
Often, legislation takes so much time to win its way through, but an
idea that was very worthy moved through and, I think, in record time.
So, again, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in passing
H.R. 2787, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
In closing, I, too, came from rural America, and I, too, am a first-
generation college graduate and had an opportunity to use the public
education system to go to college and medical school. After that, then
mentored and taught for over 25 years in medical school, so I had a
chance to see young students, and I think this is a fantastic idea.
I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for bringing
this forward. To bring a young person in who has never had a chance to
be in that sort of environment and expose them to this, you don't know
what sort of light bulb you are going to turn on in their head to
encourage them and mentor them. And many of them will become passionate
about medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy,
audiology, PTSD treatment. I could go on and on. I think this is a
great idea. I strongly encourage all Members to support H.R. 2787, as
amended.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2787, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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