House Passes Bills to Reauthorize CHGME, Workforce Programs

The House of Representatives last night approved legislation to reauthorize the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program and federal workforce development programs for nurses and health professionals. The Dr. Benjy Frances Brooks Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5385), supported by the AHA, would reauthorize the CHGME program through 2023 at $325 million a year, a $10 million increase over last year’s funding allocation and the amount specified in the fiscal year 2019 House appropriations bill. The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (H.R. 959), supported by the AHA’s American Organization of Nurse Executives subsidiary, would reauthorize nursing workforce development programs that support recruitment, retention and advanced education through FY 2023. The Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency Readiness Act (H.R. 3728) would reauthorize health professions workforce programs that support loan repayment and provider training experiences in primary care, dentistry, rural and underserved areas. The House also approved the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (H.R. 1676), which directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to enhance health professionals training in palliative care.