S 1628 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of physicians who practice in underserved rural communities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

August 6, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself and Mrs. HAGAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of physicians who practice in underserved rural communities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Rural Physician Pipeline Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. RURAL PHYSICIAN TRAINING GRANTS.

Part C of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293k et seq.) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) after the part heading, by inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘Subpart I--Medical Training Generally’;

andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by inserting at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘Subpart II--Training in Underserved Communities

‘SEC. 749. RURAL PHYSICIAN TRAINING GRANTS.

‘(a) In General- The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a program to make grants to eligible entities for the purposes of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) assisting eligible entities in recruiting students most likely to practice medicine in underserved rural communities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) providing rural-focused training and experience; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) increasing the number of recent allopathic and osteopathic medical school graduates who practice in underserved rural communities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Eligible Entities- In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) be a school of allopathic or osteopathic medicine accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association approved by the Secretary for this purpose, or any combination or consortium of such schools; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a certification that such entity--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) will use amounts provided to the institution to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) establish and carry out a Rural Physician Training Program described in subsection (d);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) improve an existing rural-focused training program to meet the requirements described in subsection (d) and carry out such program; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) expand and carry out an existing rural-focused training program that meets the requirements described in subsection (d); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) employs, or will employ within a timeframe sufficient to implement the Program (as described by a timetable and supporting documentation in the application of the eligible entity), faculty with experience or training in rural medicine or with experience in training rural physicians.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Priority- In awarding grant funds under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) demonstrate a record of successfully training students, as determined by the Secretary, who practice medicine in underserved rural communities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) demonstrate that an existing academic program of the eligible entity produces a high percentage, as determined by the Secretary, of graduates from such program who practice medicine in underserved rural communities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) demonstrate rural community institutional partnerships, through such mechanisms as matching or contributory funding, documented in-kind services for implementation, or existence of training partners with interprofessional expertise (such as dental, vision, or mental health services) in community health center training locations or other similar facilities; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) submit, as part of the application of the entity under subsection (b), a plan for the long-term tracking of where the graduates of such entity are practicing medicine.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Use of Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT- An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use the funds made available under such grant to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) establish and carry out a ‘Rural Physician Training Program’ (referred to in this section as the ‘Program’);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) improve an existing rural-focused training program to meet the Program requirements described in this subsection and carry out such program; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) expand and carry out an existing rural-focused training program that meets the Program requirements described in this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) STRUCTURE OF PROGRAM- An eligible entity shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) enroll no fewer than 10 students per class year into the Program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) develop criteria for admission to the Program that gives priority to students--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) who have originated from or lived for a period of 2 or more years in an underserved rural community; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) who express a commitment to practice medicine in an underserved rural community.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) CURRICULA- The Program shall require students to enroll in didactic coursework and clinical experience particularly applicable to medical practice in underserved rural communities, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) clinical rotations in underserved rural communities, and in specialties including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, and emergency medicine;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) in addition to core school curricula, additional coursework or training experiences focused on medical issues prevalent in underserved rural communities, including in areas such as trauma, obstetrics, ultrasound, oral health, and behavioral health; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) any coursework or clinical experience that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) may be developed as a result of the Symposium described in subsection (f); orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) the Secretary finds appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) RESIDENCY PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE- Where available, the Program shall assist all students of the Program in obtaining clinical training experiences in locations with postgraduate programs offering residency training opportunities in underserved rural communities, or in local residency training programs that support and train physicians to practice in underserved rural communities, as well as assist all students of the Program in obtaining postgraduate residency training in such programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) PROGRAM STUDENT COHORT SUPPORT- The Program shall provide and require all students of the Program to participate in social, educational, and other group activities designed to further develop, maintain, and reinforce the original commitment of such students to practice in an underserved rural community.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) Annual Reporting Requirement- On an annual basis, an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit a report to the Secretary on--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) the overall success of the Program established by the entity, based on criteria the Secretary determines appropriate;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) the number of students participating in the Program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) the number of graduating students who participated in the Program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) the residency program selection of graduating students who participated in the Program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) the number of graduates who participated in the Program who are practicing in underserved rural communities not less than one year after completing residency training; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) the number of graduates who participated in the Program who are not practicing in underserved rural communities not less than one year after completing residency training.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(f) Rural Training Program Symposium-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) PURPOSES OF SYMPOSIUM- To assist the Secretary in carrying out the Program and making grant determinations under this section, the Secretary shall convene a Rural Training Program Symposium (referred to in this section as the ‘Symposium’) to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) develop best practices that may be incorporated into consideration of applications under subsection (b); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) establish a network of allopathic and osteopathic medical schools that have developed or will develop rural training programs in accordance with subsection (d).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) COMPOSITION- The Symposium shall include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) representatives from eligible entities with existing rural training programs;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) representatives from all eligible entities interested in developing the Program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) representatives from area health education centers;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) representatives from the Health Resources and Services Administration; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) any other experts or individuals with experience in practicing medicine in underserved rural communities the Secretary determines appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(g) Regulations- Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall by regulation define ‘underserved rural community’ for purposes of this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(h) Supplement Not Supplant- Any eligible entity receiving funds under this section shall use such funds to supplement, not supplant, any other Federal, State, and local funds that would otherwise be expended by such entity to carry out the activities described in this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) Maintenance of Effort- With respect to activities for which funds awarded under this section are to be expended, the entity shall agree to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such activities at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the entity for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the entity receives a grant under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(j) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) to carry out this section (other than subsection (f))--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) to carry out subsection (f), such sums as may be necessary.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink