Sponsors (2)
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Last progress June 2, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 2, 2025 by Melanie Ann Stansbury
Creates an Office of Graduate Medical Education Programs inside the Indian Health Service (IHS) to plan, build, and oversee residency, fellowship, and student training programs and to support recruitment and retention of health workers serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It requires an interagency working group to help establish the Office, mandates periodic reports to Congress, sunsets the working group after 10 years, and authorizes at least $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and $4,000,000 each subsequent year to carry out the work.
Establish within the Indian Health Service an Office of Graduate Medical Education Programs (referred to in the section as the Office).
Create a pipeline for future health care professionals, paraprofessionals, and other health-related professionals (as identified by the Secretary) to participate in residency and fellowship programs.
Oversee current residency and fellowship programs at facilities of the Service and facilitate establishment of additional residency programs that support recruitment and retention of health care professionals, paraprofessionals, and other health-related professionals working at such facilities.
Serve as the central hub for residency programs at facilities of the Service.
Work in consultation or coordination with academic institutions.
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Primary effects: IHS-operated health facilities and their clinical training programs will gain a dedicated federal office to plan and expand residency, fellowship, and student training, which should strengthen the pipeline of clinicians for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Health care workers (including residents, fellows, and clinicians) and medical students who train in or for IHS settings stand to benefit from more structured training opportunities, support for recruitment/retention, and potentially improved career pathways. Tribal communities and patients served by IHS may see longer-term increases in local clinical capacity and staffing stability. Federal agencies that participate in the interagency working group will engage in coordination and reporting duties. Budgetary impact: the bill authorizes $4 million per year starting in FY2027 for implementation, creating a planned funding need that Congress must appropriate; the authorization is modest relative to overall federal health spending but provides a stable baseline for program startup and operations. Operational impacts: IHS will need to allocate administrative resources to host and run the Office; partner sites and training institutions may be asked to align programs or report on progress as part of implementation.