- Star Grassroots Advocates
- With the 2024 PAEA Education Forum in Washington, D.C. PAEA took the opportunity to host the Education Forum Hill Day, a large-scale advocacy effort involving PA faculty and student visits to Congressional offices on Capitol Hill. The event resulted in 150 PA students and faculty completing 113 congressional meetings from 36 different state delegations. During meetings, participants advocated for S.4169 - the Primary Care Team Education Centers Act, H.R.8738 - The Rural Health Preceptor Tax Fairness Act, and a long-term reauthorization of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) at an increased mandatory funding level to maximize the reach of the program. Thank you to all who volunteered their time and effort in making the 2024 Education Forum Hill Day a true success.
- Advancing PAEA’s Advocacy Agenda
- PAEA began the recruitment process for new nominees to the National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps (NACNHSC). This council is responsible for providing guidance to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of HRSA on the execution of the NHSC scholarship and loan repayment programs. If selected, a nominee serves a three-year term and is expected to attend meetings up to four times per year with each meeting lasting two days. The deadline to submit nominations is December 6.
- Health Care News in Washington
- On October 24, Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the launch of the “Join the Health Workforce: A Career With Endless Possibilities” website, www.hhs.gov/JoinTheHealthWorkforce. The site highlights support that is available through HHS for those who are interested in joining or advancing within the health workforce.
- On October 25, the U.S. Department of Education announced a set of proposed rules that, if finalized, would authorize loan forgiveness for approximately 8 million borrowers experiencing hardship. If these rules are finalized as proposed, the Secretary of Education could waive up to the entire outstanding balance of a student loan when the Department determines a hardship is likely to impair the borrower’s ability to fully repay the loan or render the costs of continued collection of the loan unjustified. Financial burdens could include unexpected medical bills, high child care costs, significant expenses related to caring for loved ones with chronic illnesses, or devastating economic circumstances from the impacts of a natural disaster. Read the full press release here.
- Opportunities for Action
- Your voice matters in advocating for legislation that will positively impact the future of PA education and address healthcare disparities in underserved communities. Please contact your elected officials in Congress and urge them to support the Primary Care Team Education Centers Act.
- To decrease disparities in access to care and ensure there are enough providers to meet patient demand nationwide, reach out to your elected representatives today to advocate for increased funding for all Title VII health workforce development programs for fiscal year 2025.
- If you are committed to improving PA education as well as access to care for vulnerable patients, contact your elected representatives in Congress and tell them to support the Rural Health Preceptor Tax Fairness Act.
- As we face the impending expiration of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) mandatory authorization, we need your help to fight for solutions that safeguard against growing workforce shortages. Please contact your representatives today to urge them to preserve the current NHSC pipeline and field strength through a robust mandatory funding level.
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