House Holds Appropriations Hearing on FY 24 Education Budget Request

At Tuesday’s hearing, Sec. Cardona testified in support of the Department of Education’s FY 24 budget proposal, which seeks a 13% overall funding increase above current funding levels. Republican Members of the Subcommittee, led by new Chair Rob Aderholt (R-AL) expressed concerns about proposed funding increase, citing concerns about continued deficit spending. Democratic Members focused the bulk of their comments on the impact of expected budgetary cuts Republicans will make in FY 24, including to the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill, with Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) anticipating a 20-30% overall cut. In addition, there were discussions about Pell Grant funding, whether the department was prepared to restart student loan repayments, the Parental Bill of Rights, school choice, STEM, as well as Short Term Pell to help address employers’ need for skilled workers.

Our memo on the hearing may be accessed here.

Call for Applications: Award for Innovation and Excellence in Clinical Education

Through the Award for Innovation and Excellence in Clinical Dducation, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) looks to recognize an institutional member along with its clinical partner for innovation and excellence in clinical education.  As the inaugural award, all ideas are welcome.  Applicants will have the option to concurrently submit for the poster session at the upcoming ASAHP annual conference, October 17-19, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Applicants for this award must be nominated and submitted by an ASAHP member institutions.  Applicants should demonstrate innovation and excellence in clinical education that:

• Exhibit innovation in clinical education that will meet future workforce needs.

• Increase the quality of clinical education for students, or

• Increase the quantity of clinical education experiences for students while maintaining or enhancing quality

Learn more and apply here.

Register Now: Immersive Clinical Learning Through Innovative Technologies Webinar

In one week on April 27 at 1pm ET, ASAHP's Clinical Education Committee will be hosting "Immersive Clinical Learning through Innovative Technologies." Attendees will learn how the presenters identified and implemented innovative technologies at three diverse institutions.  They will present the value of these technologies and how they acquired and sustained funding. Unable to attend live? Make sure you register to receive the recording link after the event.

Learn more and register here.

ASAHP, FASHP Statement on Ensuring Academic Freedom and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

ASAHP joined the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP), which comprises 19 associations representing a health professions education community, in issuing a statement of commitment to the principles of academic freedom, as well as creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for students and patients.

The joint statement may be accessed here.

Realizing The Potential Of Accountable Care In Medicaid

Seeking to control costs and improve quality of care, more than a dozen states have established accountable care organizations, or ACOs, for their Medicaid-covered residents since 2010. Relatively little is known about their impact in Medicaid, or what factors into their successful adoption.  A new Commonwealth Fund issue brief documents the performance of Medicaid ACOs to date. 

It can be obtained at Realizing the Potential of Accountable Care in Medicaid | Commonwealth Fund.

Department of Education Update on Third-Party Servicer Guidance

This afternoon, the Department of Education provided an update on its Third-Party Servicer guidance. ASAHP joined ACE in submitting comments to the Department regarding concerns with the guidance on March 29. The Department said the September 1, 2023 effective date of the guidance letter will no longer be in effect, and that the effective date of the revised final guidance letter will be at least six months after its publication. In the update the Department included a list of activities it does not consider as constituting Third-Party Servicer relationships. Included in this list is “clinical or externship opportunities that meet requirements under existing regulations because they are closely monitored by qualified personnel at an institution”.

The update may be accessed here. The comments submitted by ASAHP, ACE, and others may be accessed here.

Call for Abstracts: 2023 ASAHP Annual Conference

On October 17-19, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions will hold its 2023 Annual Conference at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida.

This year's conference theme is Moving Forward – Emerging Practices and Lasting Changes in Higher Education and Health Professions.

Interested parties are invited to contribute to the program by submitting abstracts to be presented in-person in one of two formats:

-Paper presentation: a 20-minute Concurrent Session, or

-Poster presentation: during the conference-wide Poster Session

2023 Featured Topics

• Technology in Health Professions Education and Practice 

• Models of Excellence for Interprofessional Education/Collaboration 

• Improving Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) 

• Enhancing Wellness in Academic Communities 

• Addressing Shortages in Health Professions Education and Practice 

• Other (related to health professions)

National Cancer Plan

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a national plan to advance the fight against cancer. It includes strategies to prevent cancer, detect cancers early, develop effective treatments, eliminate inequities, engage people in cancer research, deliver optimal care, maximize data utility and optimize the cancer care and research workforce.

The plan can be obtained at https://nationalcancerplan.cancer.gov/national-cancer-plan.pdf.

ASAHP Announces 2023 Regional Summits Across The U.S. Focusing On Collaborative Workforce Development

Washington, D.C. -  The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced today that it will present the 2023 ASAHP Regional Summits on May 25, 2023 with a theme of “Joining Forces to Build a Resilient, Collaborative and Practice-Ready Healthcare Workforce.” These annual in-person summits bring together academic institutions and their health care industry partners to promote dialogue, improve collaboration, and enhance health outcomes. 

Held in-person concurrently at member institution-hosted “Hubs,” the Summits will culminate in a virtual “harvest” session between Hub participants who engage in a national-level conversation. ASAHP is expanding the 2023 Regional Summits to include six unique Hub site locations across the U.S. In 2022, ASAHP expanded the Regional Summits to three Hub locations; prior to that, the annual event took place in a single location. Each Hub will include an opportunity for dialogue and action between multiple stakeholders from academia and the healthcare industry to discuss improvements to clinical education. The Summits are designed to create specific strategies to enhance health professions education and improve the health of individuals and communities.

The in-person Regional Summit Hubs will take place on Thursday, May 25, 2023 from 12:00 Noon - 4:30 pm (ET)/11:00 am - 3:30 pm (CT)/10:00 am - 2:30 pm (MT) at the following six Hub site locations:

• HUB: Nutley, New Jersey - Seton Hall University's School of Health and Medical Sciences Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) Campus. 

• HUB: Layton, Utah - Weber State University’s Dumke College of Health Professions and University of Utah’s College of Health    

• HUB: Houston, Texas - University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), and University of Texas Health Science Center at School of Allied Health Sciences in San Antonio    

• HUB: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - Nova Southeastern University

• HUB: Cincinnati, Ohio - University of Cincinnati

• HUB: Sioux Falls, South Dakota - University of South Dakota

ASAHP members and industry partners who are interested in participating may register here.  The deadline for advance registration is May 19th and registration is limited. 

“We are thrilled to expand the Regional Summits this year to six locations across the country where our member institutions and their health industry partners can exchange knowledge and ideas. Participants will devote their day to interprofessional collaboration and problem solving which, we believe, will play a key role in improving both the future of clinical education as well as health outcomes for the U.S. population,” said ASAHP President Deb Larsen, PhD, FASAHP.

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.

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

Now Accepting Applications for the 2023 ASAHP Scholarship of Excellence

Each year, ASAHP offers a scholarship program for health professions students enrolled in its member institutions. The purpose is to recognize outstanding students in the health professions who are achieving excellence in their academic programs and have significant potential to assume future leadership roles in health professions. Each student chosen for an award will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The most exemplary Scholarship of Excellence recipient will also receive the “Elwood Scholar” award, qualifying an additional $1,000 in scholarship funds. We are now accepting applications for this year’s awards. The deadline is Friday, June 2, 2023 [extended to Friday, June 16, 2023].

More information may be accessed here.

ASAHP, HPNEC Letter to Congressional Appropriators on HRSA Health Professions Workforce Funding

ASAHP joined more than 90 members of Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) in urging Congress to provide $1.51 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs for FY 2024.

The letter may be accessed here.

ASAHP, ACE Submit Comments to the Department of Education on Third-Party Servicers Guidance

ASAHP joined more than 80 other organizations in submitting comments to the Department of Education on their guidance on third-party servicers released in February. The comments were led by the American Council on Education (ACE). The comments suggest the guidance be rescinded, and highlights its potential negative impact on clinical experiences, among other concerns.

The letter may be accessed here. More ASAHP coverage on this issue may be found here and here.

Call for Proposals - Interprofesional Innovation Grant Program

The Interprofessional Task Force (IPTF) of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) developed the Interprofessional Innovation Grant (IIG) Program to provide support for interprofessional collaboration research among the ASAHP membership. The intent is to provide recipients a competitive edge in securing additional funding by supporting pilot projects and further developing grantsmanship skill sets. The intent of the IIG Program is that proposals submitted can be used to develop larger, more extensive interprofessional research projects that further engage faculty and ASAHP members in research endeavors.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Faculty at ASAHP Institutions in good standing

AWARD AMOUNT: We expect to fund 3 awards up to $2,000 per award

PROJECT PERIOD: September 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024

GRANT PERIOD: Up to 9 months

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  June 5, 2023

Learn more and apply here.

Telehealth Services For Opioid Use Disorder

Medicare patients who have access to telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder have lower risk of fatal drug overdose, according to a study reported this week in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The results add to the growing research documenting the benefits of expanding the use of telehealth services for individuals with opioid use disorder. 

The study can be obtained at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2802946.

Climate Change And Mental Health

The physical health impacts of climate change are everywhere, but climate change also affects mental health, causing everything from anxiety and feelings of helplessness to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts. A new report from The Commonwealth Fund examines the direct and indirect effects of extreme weather events, worsening air pollution, and rising temperatures on mental health.  

The report can be obtained at How Climate Change Affects Mental Health, What We Can Do About It | Commonwealth Fund.

ASAHP Letter to Congressional Leadership Urging DACA Legislation

ASAHP was one of 77 signatories which sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging legislation that provides permanent protections for “Dreamers” who came to the U.S. as children. Currently, 34,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients provide health care to patients in communities across the nation.

The letter may be accessed here.

Department of Education Announces Public Hearings on Higher Education Rulemaking

The U.S. Department of Education announced that it will hold virtual public hearings on April 11, 12, and 13 to receive stakeholder feedback on potential issues for future rulemaking sessions. The announcement is the first step in the process of issuing new regulations. Following the public hearings, the Department will finalize the issues to be addressed through rulemaking and solicit nominations for non-federal negotiators who can serve on the negotiated rulemaking committee(s), which will convene in fall 2023. The Department suggests the following topics for regulation in the hearing notice but invites comment on any regulatory issue that can improve outcomes for students. Potential topics may include:

• The Secretary’s recognition of accrediting agencies and related issues

• Institutional eligibility, including State authorization

• Third-party servicers and related issues

• The definition of distance education as it pertains to clock hour programs and reporting students who enroll primarily online

• Return of Title IV funds

• Cash management to address disbursement of student funds

• Federal TRIO programs

More details may be accessed here.

Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Data Released

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released 2017-2022 data on the number of organ donors, organ transplant recipients and waitlist candidates, which it plans to update regularly. These data are part of an initiative to strengthen accountability, equity, and performance in the organ donation and transplantation system, which includes issuing contract solicitations for multiple awards to manage and improve the Network. 

More information is available at https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-systems/organ-donation.

Affordable Care Act Health Coverage

A newly released Issue Brief presents current estimates of enrollment in health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces, Medicaid expansion, Children's Health Insurance Program, Basic Health Program and the subsequent reductions in state-level uninsured rates since the ACA was implemented in 2014. As of early 2023, the report finds that more than 40 million Americans have coverage under the ACA, the highest total on record. 

The Brief can be obtained at Microsoft Word - Health Coverage Under ACA 03-22-2023 Final version_ (hhs.gov).