The Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), an AAMC-led group of over 60 national organizations, hosted a November 28 briefing titled How HRSA Workforce Programs Address Today’s Public Health Concerns: Opioids, Rural Access, Health Equity, and Preventive Medicine.
The event featured three panelists: Marianna Footo-Linz, PhD; Juanita Garcia, Med, RN, PhD(c); and Yalda Jabbarpour, MD, who spoke about their work with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce diversity programs.
During the panel discussion, the participants detailed how Title VII and VIII grants funded programs at their institutions which enhanced the cultural competency of their trainees, increased access to health care for patients, addressed health inequities, and improved workforce diversity, increasing quality of care for the patients in their communities.
The panelists attributed partial success of their programs to funding from the Graduate Psychology Education, Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training, Nursing Workforce Diversity, and Primary Care Training and Enhancement programs of Title VII and Title VIII.
As budget negotiations continue for FY 2018, HPNEC recommends $580 million for these workforce programs in order for them to continue their important work.