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ASAHP Recognizes University Members With 2022 Excellence in Interprofessional Collaboration Award

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Washington, D.C. – The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is pleased to announce that The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Winston-Salem State University are co-recipients of ASAHP’s 2022 Award for Institutional Excellence and Innovation in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Health Care. In addition, two member institutions, Duquesne University and the University of Oklahoma, received the Program of Merit for their submissions. The recipients will be recognized and present their award-winning programs in October at the 2022 ASAHP Annual Conference in Long Beach, CA.  In addition, the recipients will participate in a panel discussion webinar in November.

“Through the innovation and dedication of our multidisciplinary member institutions, ASAHP continues to lead the way in interprofessional health education (IPE) and practice (IPCP). We are proud to be a collaborative resource and advocate for our membership who serve students, faculty, professional accrediting bodies, and practitioners through instruction, research and service,” said ASAHP President Deb Larsen, PhD, FASAHP. “Congratulations to The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Winston-Salem State University for their outstanding achievement in IPE and IPCP.”

The Winston-Salem State University School of Health Sciences team is led by University Professor and Interim Dean LesLee Battle, EdD who said, “We are honored to receive this award and believe it is a testament to the value of incorporating Interprofessional Education (IPE) into our curriculum. Our committed faculty has worked hard to ensure that the next generation of health science students enters the workforce with the knowledge, skills and attitude to provide meaningful quality healthcare through team collaboration.”

The team at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is led by  Dr. Jacqueline Mok, Vice President for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs. Dr. Mok praised the work of stakeholders across the institution for the success of Linking Interprofessional Networks for Collaboration (LINC) and added, “This award is testament to the university-wide infrastructure we have developed through the LINC program under the leadership of director, Dr. Joseph Zorek. LINC has been successful due to the strong commitment to interprofessional collaboration and buy-in at all levels from our executive leadership team to Deans to faculty, staff and students from all five of our schools.” 

 

About ASAHP
The Association of School Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is a national professional organization of 130 universities and employers focused on critical issues affecting allied health education. ASAHP’s mission is to advance health through interprofessional collaboration.

 

Contact:
Kristen Truong
kristen@asahp.org
Director of Public Affairs
ASAHP

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House Appropriations Committee Releases Committee Report

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Today, the House Appropriations Committee released its report for the FY 23 Labor-HHS-Education bill. The Committee will mark up the bill tomorrow at 9am.

The markup may be viewed here. The Committee’s press release and bill report may be accessed here. Chair Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT) statement may be accessed here.

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Department of Education State Authorization Reciprocity and Licensure Rulemaking

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Last week, OMB provided updates on the rulemaking process for the Certification Procedures portion of the higher education Notice for Proposed Rulemaking. The Department of Education is scheduled to issue proposed regulations in April 2023, open to public comment for at least 30 days. If final regulations are released by November 1, 2023, they will become effective July 1, 2024. ASAHP has concerns about rulemaking on state authorization reciprocity as well as professional licensure.

Clinical experience is a core requirement of many allied health programs for graduation, and many of our members place students in out of state clinical rotations. State authorization reciprocity agreements have been vital in allowing our member institutions to provide these necessary clinical experiences. We have joined NC-SARA in recommending replacement language to the Department of Education.

More details may be accessed here.

Model To Improve Cancer Care For Medicare Patients

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today a new model aimed at improving cancer care for Medicare patients and lowering health care costs. The Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) was designed to test how to improve health care providers’ ability to deliver care centered around patients, consider patients’ unique needs, and deliver cancer care in a way that will generate the best possible patient outcomes. 

More information about the EOM can be obtained at Enhancing Oncology Model | CMS.

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ASAHP Supported Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Becomes Law

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On Saturday, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law. The bill is the first gun control legislation to become law in nearly three decades. The bill includes spending for school security and mental health treatment. ASAHP joined the Federation of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP) in a letter of support sent to congressional leaders last week.

The support letter may be accessed here.

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Department of Education Releases Proposed Title IX Regulations, Opportunity for Public Comment

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On Thursday, the Department of Education released its proposed Title IX regulations. The proposed regulations will be open for public comment for 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. The Department will engage in a separate rulemaking to address Title IX's application to athletics.

The Department’s press release and more details are available here.

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House Subcommittee Advances FY 23 LHHSED Funding Bill

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On Thursday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHSED) advanced its FY 23 funding bill. The House allocations for the 12 subcommittees provide more than $1.6 trillion in funding, a nine percent increase over the FY22 enacted level. The LHHSED bill provides $242.1 billion, an increase of $28.5 billion (13 percent) above FY 22 enacted. Like FY 22, the House funding levels will be the highwater mark in negotiations with the Senate on reaching a topline spending agreement. The LHHSED bill provides a total of $86.7 billion in discretionary appropriations for ED, an increase of $10.3 billion above the FY 2022 enacted level; a total of $15 billion in discretionary appropriations for DOL, an increase of $1.9 billion above the FY 22 enacted level and $125 million above the President’s budget request; and a total of $124.2 billion for HHS, an increase of $15.6 billion above the FY 22 enacted level and $298 million below the President’s budget request. The bill provides a total of $9.6 billion for HRSA, an increase of $683 million above the FY 2022 enacted level and $792 million above the President’s budget request. The bill includes an increase of $132 million to grow and prepare the behavioral health workforce and $25 million to develop and disseminate best practices for Preventing Burnout in the Health Workforce. The LHHSED full committee markup is scheduled for June 30 at 10am Eastern and we expect the explanatory statement report to be released on June 29.

Chair Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT) opening remarks at the Subcommittee markup are here. Ranking Member Kay Granger’s (R-TX) opening remarks are here. A summary of the bill is here. The text of the draft bill is here. The included earmarks (Community Project Funding) in the bill are here.

Older Americans Act: Overview And Funding

The Older Americans Act (OAA) supports a wide range of social services and programs for individuals aged 60 years or older. A report released on June 23, 2022 from the Congressional Research Service provides an overview that briefly describes the act’s titles, highlighting selected provisions, followed by FY 2022 appropriations and funding history. 

The report can be obtained at https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R43414.pdf.

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Regional Summit from ASAHP Brings New Collaboration between Academia and Healthcare Professionals

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Washington, D.C. - June 22, 2022 - - The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced that the June 3 Regional Summit held simultaneously across the country resulted in unprecedented engagement and collaboration between academic institutions and healthcare organizations joining together to create actions that will yield better health outcomes for patients.

Meeting America’s Public Health Challenge

In a new report released today, the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund Commission on a National Public Health System laid out a vision for transforming public health in the United States to better protect lives and provide robust, coordinated responses to health emergencies. 

The report can be obtained at MEETING AMERICA’S PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE: Recommendations for Building a National Public Health System That Addresses Ongoing and Future Health Crises, Advances Equity, and Earns Trust (commonwealthfund.org).

Who Pays For Long-Term Services And Supports? [June 16, 2022]

A new updated report from the Congressional Research Service provides data for personal health expenditures by payer for long-term services and supports, which are a broad range of health services and other types of assistance that are needed by individuals over an extended period of time. 

The report can be obtained at https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/IF10343.pdf.

The University of St. Thomas Joins ASAHP

The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced today that the University of St. Thomas Morrison Family College of Health  in Minneapolis, MN has become its newest member institution. The announcement was made by ASAHP President Deb Larsen, PhD, FASAHP. ASAHP is a national professional organization of more than 120 universities and employers focused on critical issues affecting health professions and health sciences education. Its mission is to improve health through excellence in education, interprofessional collaboration, leadership, research, and advocacy. 

Nearly 60% of the U.S. healthcare workforce are classified as health professions and there are more than 100 areas of practice ranging from audiologist, dental hygienist, paramedic to nutritionist, lactation consultant, physical, occupational or respiratory therapist to mental health counselor or athletic trainer. With the critical shortage in healthcare workers, exacerbated by the pandemic, ensuring workforce readiness through the collaboration and partnerships established through ASAHP has never been more important.

“We are thrilled to welcome the University of St. Thomas Morrison Family College of Health to ASAHP and to share the resources our organization provides to enhance health professions education and better prepare the future pipeline of health professionals,” said Larsen. “We also look forward to engaging with the team at the Morrison Family College of Health and benefiting from their ideas and best practices.” 

By becoming a member of ASAHP, the University of St. Thomas Morrison Family College of Health will enjoy a multitude of benefits including networking with leaders in health professions education and practice, professional and leadership development activities, research and projects that can impact health sciences education and services, and representation and advocacy at the federal level among others. For more information on the full benefits of ASAHP membership click here.

Added Dr. MayKao Y. Hang, vice president of strategic initiatives and founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health, “We are excited to join the ASAHP family and are confident that the opportunities for collaboration within health professions and with our health sciences colleagues will not only serve our faculty and students, but will help us find new ways to improve whole-person health for individuals, families and communities.”

About ASAHP
The Association of School Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is a national professional organization of 130 universities and employers focused on critical issues affecting health professions education. ASAHP’s mission is to advance health through interprofessional collaboration.

About the Morrison Family College of Health
The Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas educates leaders to reimagine how we address the needs of the whole person and advance health equity. The college includes the Department of Health and Exercise Science, the Graduate School of Professional Psychology, the School of Social Work, and the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing.

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State Funding for Higher Education Rose in 2021

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The “State Higher Education Finance Report, FY 2021”, released today by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), found that state funding in fiscal year 2021 increased by 4.5 percent above inflation. State and local funding for all higher education totaled $113.2 billion in fiscal year 2021, including $3.7 billion in federal stimulus funding (3.2%). SHEEO’s report notes that 2021 marks the tenth straight year of declining enrollment.

The report may be accessed here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.

Improving Race and Ethnicity Data Collection

Without accurate data on patients’ race and ethnicity, efforts to make health care more equitable can achieve only limited success. A blog from the Commonwealth Fund explores how state-based insurance marketplaces can improve data collection by making changes to their application processes and by working with insurers to fill gaps.  

The blog can be obtained at Improving Race and Ethnicity Data Collection: A First Step to Furthering Health Equity Through the State-Based Marketplaces | Commonwealth Fund.

Hospital Community Benefits Far Exceed Federal Tax Exemption

Tax-exempt hospitals and health systems provided over $110 billion in community benefits in fiscal year 2019, almost nine times the value of their federal tax exemption, according to an analysis by Ernst & Young. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2022/06/E%26Y-Benefit-of-of-Tax-Exemption-Report-FY2019-FINAL-with-links.pdf.

 

CMS National Quality Strategy

Given the urgent need for action within the health care system and lessons learned during the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking an aggressive step forward as a national voice for quality. On April 12, 2022, the agency launched the CMS National Quality Strategy, an ambitious long-term initiative that aims to promote the highest quality outcomes and safest care for all individuals. The initiative consists of eight core goals. 

More information became available on June 6 and can be obtained at The CMS National Quality Strategy: A Person-Centered Approach to Improving Quality | CMS.