Sec. 301. Amendment to the Public Health Service Act
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Public Health Service Act Title XXXIV of the Public Health Service Act , as added by section 204, is amended by adding at the end the following: The Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Health Workforce of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award a grant to an entity determined appropriate by the Secretary for the establishment of a national working group on workforce diversity. In establishing the national working group under subsection (a): The grantee shall ensure that the group has representatives of each of the following:
The Health Resources and Services Administration. The Department of Health and Human Services Data Council. The Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Institute of Medicine Study Committee for the 2004 workforce diversity report.
The Indian Health Service. The Department of Education. Minority-serving academic institutions. Consumer organizations. Health professional associations, including those that represent underrepresented minority populations. Researchers in the area of health workforce. Health workforce accreditation entities. Private (including nonprofit) foundations that have sponsored workforce diversity initiatives. Local and State health departments. Representatives of community members to be included on admissions committees for health profession schools pursuant to subsection (c)(9).
National community-based organizations that serve as a national intermediary to their urban affiliate members and have demonstrated capacity to train health care professionals. The Veterans Health Administration. Other entities determined appropriate by the Secretary. The grantee shall ensure that, in addition to the representatives under paragraph (1), the working group has not less than 5 health professions students representing various health profession fields and levels of training.
The working group established under subsection
(a)shall convene at least twice each year to complete the following activities: Review public and private health workforce diversity initiatives. Identify successful health workforce diversity programs and practices. Examine challenges relating to the development and implementation of health workforce diversity initiatives. Draft a national strategic work plan for health workforce diversity, including recommendations for public and private sector initiatives. Develop a framework and methods for the evaluation of current and future health workforce diversity initiatives. Develop recommended standards for workforce diversity that could be applicable to all health professions programs and programs funded under this Act. Develop guidelines to train health professionals to care for a diverse population. Develop a workforce data collection or tracking system to identify where racial and ethnic minority health professionals practice. Develop a strategy for the inclusion of community members on admissions committees for health profession schools. Help with monitoring and implementation of standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Other activities determined appropriate by the Secretary. Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the working group under subsection (a), and annually thereafter, the working group shall prepare and make available to the general public for comment, an annual report on the activities of the working group. Such report shall include the recommendations of the working group for improving health workforce diversity. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, and in collaboration with the Bureau of Health Workforce within the Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, shall establish a technical clearinghouse on health workforce diversity within the Office of Minority Health and coordinate current and future clearinghouses related to health workforce diversity. The clearinghouse established under subsection
(a)shall offer the following information and services: Information on the importance of health workforce diversity. Statistical information relating to underrepresented minority representation in health and allied health professions and occupations. Model health workforce diversity practices and programs, including integrated models of care. Admissions policies that promote health workforce diversity and are in compliance with Federal and State laws. Retainment policies that promote completion of health profession degrees for underserved populations. Lists of scholarship, loan repayment, and loan cancellation grants as well as fellowship information for underserved populations for health professions schools. Foundation and other large organizational initiatives relating to health workforce diversity. In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall consult with non-Federal entities which may include minority health professional associations and minority sections of major health professional associations to ensure the adequacy and accuracy of information. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants to eligible entities that demonstrate a commitment to health workforce diversity. To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall— be an educational institution or entity that historically produces or trains meaningful numbers of underrepresented minority health professionals, including— part B institutions, as defined in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965; Hispanic-serving health professions schools; Hispanic-serving institutions, as defined in section 502 of such Act; Tribal colleges or universities, as defined in section 316 of such Act; Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, as defined in section 371(c) of such Act; institutions that have programs to recruit and retain underrepresented minority health professionals, in which a significant number of the enrolled participants are underrepresented minorities; health professional associations, which may include underrepresented minority health professional associations; and institutions, including national and regional community-based organizations with demonstrated commitment to a diversified workforce— located in communities with predominantly underrepresented minority populations; with whom partnerships have been formed for the purpose of increasing workforce diversity; and in which at least 20 percent of the enrolled participants are underrepresented minorities; and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Amounts received under a grant under subsection
(a)shall be used to expand existing workforce diversity programs, implement new workforce diversity programs, or evaluate existing or new workforce diversity programs, including with respect to mental health care professions. Such programs shall enhance diversity by considering minority status as part of an individualized consideration of qualifications. Possible activities may include— educational outreach programs relating to opportunities in the health professions; scholarship, fellowship, grant, loan repayment, and loan cancellation programs; postbaccalaureate programs; academic enrichment programs, particularly targeting those who would not be competitive for health professions schools; supporting workforce diversity in kindergarten through 12th grade and other health pipeline programs; mentoring programs; internship or rotation programs involving hospitals, health systems, health plans, and other health entities; community partnership development for purposes relating to workforce diversity; or leadership training. Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant under this section, and annually for the term of the grant, a grantee shall submit to the Secretary a report that summarizes and evaluates all activities conducted under the grant. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants that expand existing opportunities for scientists and researchers and promote the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in the health professions. The head of each agency listed in subsection
(a)shall establish or expand existing programs to provide research funding to scientists and researchers in training. Under such programs, the head of each such entity shall give priority in allocating research funding to support health research in traditionally underserved communities, including underrepresented minority communities, and research classified as community or participatory. The head of each agency listed in subsection
(a)shall collect data on the number (expressed as an absolute number and a percentage) of underrepresented minority and nonminority applicants who receive and are denied agency funding at every stage of review. Such data shall be reported annually to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress. The Secretary shall establish a student loan reimbursement program to provide student loan reimbursement assistance to researchers who focus on racial and ethnic disparities in health. The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to define the scope and procedures for the program under this subsection. The Secretary shall establish a student loan cancellation program to provide student loan cancellation assistance to researchers who focus on racial and ethnic disparities in health. Students participating in the program shall make a minimum 5-year commitment to work at an accredited health profession school. The Secretary shall promulgate additional regulations to define the scope and procedures for the program under this subsection. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall establish a program to award grants to eligible individuals for career support in nonresearch-related health and wellness professions. To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an individual shall— be a student in a health professions school, a graduate of such a school who is working in a health profession, an individual working in a health or wellness profession (including mental and behavioral health), or a faculty member of such a school; and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. An individual shall use amounts received under a grant under this section to— support the individual’s health activities or projects that involve underserved communities, including racial and ethnic minority communities; support health-related career advancement activities; pay, or as reimbursement for payments of, student loans or training or credentialing costs for individuals who are health professionals and are focused on health issues affecting underserved communities, including racial and ethnic minority communities; and establish and promote leadership training programs to decrease health disparities and to increase cultural competence with the goal of increasing diversity in leadership positions. In this section, the term career in nonresearch-related health and wellness professions means employment or intended employment in the field of public health, health policy, health management, health administration, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social work, psychiatry, other mental and behavioral health, allied health, community health, social work, or other fields determined appropriate by the Secretary, other than in a position that involves research. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in collaboration with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, shall award grants to eligible entities to expand research on the link between health workforce diversity and quality health care. To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall— be a clinical, public health, or health services research entity or other entity determined appropriate by the Director; and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Amounts received under a grant awarded under subsection
(a)shall be used to support research that investigates the effect of health workforce diversity on— language access; cultural competence; patient satisfaction; timeliness of care; safety of care; effectiveness of care; efficiency of care; patient outcomes; community engagement; resource allocation; organizational structure; compliance of care; or other topics determined appropriate by the Director. In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Director shall give individualized consideration to all relevant aspects of the applicant’s background. Consideration of prior research experience involving the health of underserved communities shall be such a factor. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary, acting through the Office of Minority Health, in collaboration with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Office for Civil Rights, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and other appropriate public and private entities, shall establish and coordinate a health and health care disparities education program to support, develop, and implement educational initiatives and outreach strategies that inform health care professionals and the public about the existence of and methods to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. The Secretary, through the education program established under subsection (a), shall, through the use of public awareness and outreach campaigns targeting the general public and the medical community at large— disseminate scientific evidence for the existence and extent of racial and ethnic disparities in health care, including disparities that are not otherwise attributable to known factors such as access to care, patient preferences, or appropriateness of intervention, as described in the 2002 Institute of Medicine Report entitled Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care , as well as the impact of disparities related to age, disability status, socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation on racial and ethnic minorities; disseminate new research findings to health care providers and patients to assist them in understanding, reducing, and eliminating health and health care disparities; disseminate information about the impact of linguistic and cultural barriers on health care quality and the obligation of health providers who receive Federal financial assistance to ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency have access to language access services; disseminate information about the importance and legality of racial, ethnic, disability status, socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and primary language data collection, analysis, and reporting; design and implement specific educational initiatives to health care providers relating to health and health care disparities; assess the impact of the programs established under this section in raising awareness of health and health care disparities and providing information on available resources; and design and implement specific educational initiatives to educate the health care workforce relating to unconscious bias. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. .