Administration Announces Targeted Student Debt Cancellation and Pause Extension

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it will provide provide targeted student debt cancellation to borrowers with loans held by the Department of Education. Borrowers with annual income during the pandemic of under $125,000 (for individuals) or under $250,000 (for married couples or heads of households) who received a Pell Grant in college will be eligible for up to $20,000 in debt cancellation. Borrowers who met those income standards but did not receive a Pell Grant will be eligible for up to $10,000 in relief. The Department will be announcing further details on how borrowers can claim this relief in the weeks ahead. The application will be available no later than when the pause on federal student loan repayments terminates at the end of the year. The Administration also announced a final extension of the pause on student loan repayment, interest, and collections through December 31, 2022. Borrowers should plan to resume payments in January 2023.

The U.S. Department of Education fact sheet may be accessed here. A White House fact sheet may be accessed here.

Department of Education Webinar on How Educators Can Benefit from PSLF

The U.S. Department of Education will be holding a webinar on Wednesday, August 31, to discuss how educators can benefit from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, specifically the temporary waiver which provides time-limited changes to rules that allow borrowers to receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for PSLF. Borrowers are encouraged to act now since these changes are currently set to expires on October 31, 2022. The webinar will also highlight recent improvements to the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program.

More details and registration may be accessed here.

How Insurance Payments To Providers Can Affect Patients

Different approaches that Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurers use to set provider payment rates have resulted in growing health care disparities, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund 

The report can be obtained at How Differences in Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial Health Insurance Payment Rates Impact Access, Health Equity, and Cost | Commonwealth Fund.

HRSA Geriatrics Academic Career Awards Funding Opportunity

HRSA has released a funding opportunity announcement for Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA). The purpose of the GACA program is to support the career development of junior faculty as academic geriatricians or academic geriatrics specialists. 26 awards are expected. The estimated total program funding is $2,100,000. Applications are due by November 3, 2022.

More details may be accessed here.

Life Expectancy In The United States

According to a new Commonwealth Fund study, although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation, Americans have a shorter average lifespan, and a higher rate of preventable deaths, compared to individuals in many high- and even middle-income countries. 

The report can be obtained at Americans, No Matter the State They Live In, Die Younger Than People in Many Other Countries | Commonwealth Fund.

Racism And Public Safety

Patient safety events in health care settings, such as medical errors, diagnostic errors, and preventable injuries are understudied. Evidence suggests that these events vary across patients from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and that minoritized patients are more likely to experience them. A new report, from RAND examines this issue and provides recommendations to help improve patient safety and health equity. 

The report can be obtained at Identifying and Understanding Ways to Address the Impact of Racism on Patient Safety in Health Care Settings | RAND.

ASAHP Advocacy Committee Releases Advocacy Toolkit

ASAHP’s Advocacy Committee released an Advocacy Toolkit including information on contacting hill offices, preparing for advocacy meetings, and much more. The 36-page guide is a valuable resource for advocating for health professions education.

The Advocacy Toolkit may be accessed here.

NC-SARA & WCET/State Authorization Network Webinar Series

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET)/ State Authorization Network (SAN) held a two-part webinar series focused on state authorization and SARA. Part 1 was entitled “State & Federal Building Blocks for Out-of-State Activity Compliance” and Part 2 was entitled “Introduction to SARA”.

More details, including the webinar video recordings, may be accessed here.

Expanding Medicaid Eligibility

According to a report from the Urban Institute, if the 12 non-expansion states were to implement a Medicaid expansion fully in 2023, 3.7 million fewer individuals would be uninsured, a reduction of 29.1%. Groups with the largest gains in coverage due to Medicaid expansion would include non-Hispanic Black persons, young adults, and women, particularly women of reproductive age.

The report can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/3.7%20Million%20People%20Would%20Gain%20Health%20Coverage%20If%20the%20Remaining%20States%20Were%20to%20Expand%20Medicaid.pdf.

ASAHP Announces October Annual Conference to Focus on Leadership And Innovation

Washington, D.C. – The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced today that its 2022 Annual Conference  will take place in-person October 19-21, 2022 at the Westin Long Beach  hotel in Southern California. The theme of this year’s conference is “Leading the Charge - Advancing Innovation in Higher Education and the Health Professions.”  Registration is now open to all and is available here.  Health profession educators, clinicians, and industry partners can engage and network with peers on key issues impacting higher education and the health professions. In addition, numerous awards will be presented during the Conference to ASAHP members who have brought recognition or demonstrated excellence in the fields of health professions, including interprofessional collaboration.

National and international speakers will share insights on emerging issues including:

• Innovative Approaches to Interprofessional Education/Collaboration

• Leadership

• New Models for Health Professions Education and Practice

• Models for Excellence for Enhancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Select Topics in Health Professions

The preliminary roster of conference speakers will include:

• Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, ARPN-CNP, EBP-C, FAANP, FAAN is the Vice President for Health Promotion and University Chief Wellness Officer at The Ohio State University. Dr. Melnyk is a globally recognized expert in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), intervention research, child, teen and young adult mental health, and health and wellness. She will speak about resiliency in health professions.

• Cheryl Dowd, JD, MS is the Senior Director for the State Authorization Network (SAN) & digital learning advocacy group WCET Policy Innovation. Cheryl will focus on state authorization and compliance.

• Erik S. Johnson is an Occupational Therapist and Assistant Professor at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Chief Medical Officer at Warfighter Engaged. As an occupational therapist, Erik specializes in the use of technology as a therapeutic medium for rehabilitation. He has used video games as a treatment tool for over 14 years and looks for opportunities to advance practice by incorporating them into the mix of traditional approaches.

• Shelley Mishoe, PhD is Dean Emerita of the College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. During her time as Dean, the college launched several initiatives, including the Center for Global Health, Monarch Physical Therapy, the Interprofessional Education program, a master's degree in athletic training and a Ph.D. in kinesiology and rehabilitation.

• Additional speakers and roundtables to be announced soon.

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.

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 professions education and discovery through interprofessional collaboration, leadership, excellence, and innovation.

Administration Releases Two New Reports on Long COVID

Today, the Biden-Harris Adminstration released two reports on Long COVID. The National Research Action Plan on Long COVID, created in coordination with 14 government departments and agencies, introduces the first U.S. government–wide national research agenda focused on advancing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and provision of services and supports for individuals and families experiencing Long COVID. The Services and Supports for Longer-Term Impacts of COVID-19 Report outlines federal services available to the American public to address longer-term effects of COVID-19, including Long COVID and related conditions, as well as other impacts on individuals and families.

The reports and more details may be accessed here.

2022 Long-Term Federal Budget Outlook

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the U.S. faces a challenging fiscal outlook according to extended baseline projections, which show budget deficits and federal debt held by the public growing steadily in relation to gross domestic product over the next three decades. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-07/57971-LTBO.pdf.

ASAHP Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Consideration of Race in Higher Education Admissions

ASAHP joined the Association of American Medical Colleges and 45 health professional and educational organizations in an amicus curiae brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the limited consideration of an applicant’s racial or ethnic background or experiences in higher education admissions in the Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina cases before the Court this fall. A ruling is expected in June 2023.

The amicus curiae brief may be accessed here. The AAMC’s press release may be accessed here.

ASAHP Spotlight: Leslie Gray, M.Ed., CPO, LPO, FAAOP

The ASAHP Spotlight Interview Series highlights research and initiatives in the health professions from our fellow members. Join us on Tuesday, August 2 at 1pm ET as we interview Leslie Gray, M.Ed., CPO, LPO, FAAOP, Program Director at UT Southwestern’s Department of Prosthetics-Orthotics. This interview will be our first spotlight of Prosthetics-Orthotics. We’ll go into detail on what prosthetics-orthotics is and what makes their program unique, as one of thirteen programs in the country.

The interview will take place on our Facebook page and live streamed on our website.

Health Insurance Coverage Increases

The share of uninsured Americans fell 1.5 percentage point to 8% between first-quarter 2021 and first-quarter 2022, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The result is that approximately 4.4 million fewer individuals no longer are uninsured. 

The report can be obtained at Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Quarterly Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey,January 2021–March 2022 (cdc.gov).

Senate Releases FY 23 Appropriations bills

Today, Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released the Committees FY 23 appropriations bills. The $1.67 trillion Appropriations package includes $653 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, a 10.1 percent increase over fiscal year 2022, $850 billion in defense discretionary spending, an 8.7 percent increase over fiscal year 2022, and $118.7 billion for VA medical care, a 22 percent increase over fiscal year 2022.

The Labor-HHS bill includes $119.7 billion in discretionary funding for HHS, an increase of $11.6 billion over FY 22 enacted levels and $3.6 billion less than President Joe Biden's request for the department.

The Labor-HHS bill includes $676.8 million ($158.1 million increase, or 30% increase over FY 22 enacted levels) for HRSA Title VII health professions programs, and $318.5 million ($38 million increase, or 14% increase over FY 22 enacted levels) for the HRSA Title VIII nursing workforce programs, for a total of $995.3 million for these programs. The explanatory statement also included $30 million for the new Preventing Burnout in the Health Workforce program, $5 million over the proposed funding level in the House Labor-HHS bill.

The bills will be used as the Senate’s mark in negotiations with the House, likely after the midterm elections if a topline spending agreement can be reached with Republicans.

A press release may be accessed here, a summary of the 12 bills is here, and the Labor-HHS bill details are here: bill text, explanatory statement, summary. A funding chart for the HRSA title VII and title VIII health workforce programs is available here.

IPEC Faculty Development Institute

The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) will be hosting its 2022 IPEC Institute September 28-30, returning to the popular theme of building interprofessional education for collaborative practice (IPECP). Participants will engage with national leaders in acquiring the building blocks for IPECP. Institute attendees will spend significant time planning, building, designing, assessing and acting on their IPECP goals and projects, as well as communicating effectively about IPECP.

More details may be accessed here.

House Passes Medicare Telehealth Bill

Today, the House passed H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022 by a 416-12 vote. The bill would make permanent several telehealth flexibilities under Medicare that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19. The bill is expected to pass the Senate, though when it sees the Senate floor is uncertain.

More details may be accessed here.

Enhanced Nursing Home Rating System

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today launched its enhanced Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System, which integrates data nursing homes report on their weekend staffing rates for nurses and information on annual turnover among nurses and administrators. The updated Star Ratings increase transparency in support of improving the quality of nursing homes so that residents receive reliable, quality care. 

More information can be obtained at CMS Enhances Nursing Home Rating System with Staffing and Turnover Data | CMS.

PSLF Coalition Webinar on Updates to PSLF

The PSLF Coalition and Equal Justice Works are hosting a webinar on the most recent updates to the PSLF program and how to apply for PSLF during the temporary waiver offered by the Department of Education. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, August 3 at noon Eastern.

Registration details may be accessed here.