Grants for health professions education

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may make awards of grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public and nonprofit private entities (including tribal entities) for the development, evaluation, and dissemination of research, demonstration projects, and model curricula for cultural competency, prevention, public health proficiency, reducing health disparities, and aptitude for working with individuals with disabilities training for use in health professions schools and continuing education programs, and for other purposes determined as appropriate by the Secretary. Unless specifically required otherwise in this subchapter, the Secretary shall accept applications for grants or contracts under this section from health professions schools, academic health centers, State or local governments, or other appropriate public or private nonprofit entities (or consortia of entities, including entities promoting multidisciplinary approaches) for funding and participation in health professions training activities. The Secretary may accept applications from for-profit private entities as determined appropriate by the Secretary. In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall collaborate with health professional societies, licensing and accreditation entities, health professions schools, and experts in minority health and cultural competency, prevention, and public health and disability groups, community-based organizations, and other organizations as determined appropriate by the Secretary. The Secretary shall coordinate with curricula and research and demonstration projects developed under section 296e–1 of this title. Model curricula developed under this section shall be disseminated through the Internet Clearinghouse under section 270 11 So in original. Act July 1, 1944, does not contain a section 270. and such other means as determined appropriate by the Secretary. The Secretary shall evaluate the adoption and the implementation of cultural competency, prevention, and public health, and working with individuals with a disability training curricula, and the facilitate 22 So in original. inclusion of these competency measures in quality measurement systems as appropriate. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 22, 2000], the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’), acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall convene a national conference on health professions education as a method for reducing disparities in health outcomes. The Secretary shall include in the national conference convened under subsection (a) advocacy groups and educational entities as described in section 741 of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 293e] (as added by section 401), tribal health programs, health centers under section 330 of such Act [42 U.S.C. 254b], and other interested parties. The national conference convened under subsection (a) shall include, but is not limited to, issues that address the role and impact of health professions education on the reduction of disparities in health outcomes, including the role of education on cultural competency. The conference shall focus on methods to achieve reductions in disparities in health outcomes through health professions education (including continuing education programs) and strategies for outcomes measurement to assess the effectiveness of education in reducing disparities. Not later than 6 months after the national conference under subsection (a) has convened, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a summary of the proceedings and findings of the conference. There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.” (Source: (July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 741, as added Pub. L. 106–525, title IV, § 401(a), Nov. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 2508; amended Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5307(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 628.))