Geriatric Health Professions Title VII Primer
What are Title VII Health Professions Training Programs?
Why is Title VII funding important to the future of care for older adults?
What Geriatric Health Profession Programs were supported under Title VII?
How much funding are the American Geriatrics Society and its coalition partners recommending be included for Title VII geriatric health professions programs in the 2007 budget?
Has HRSA issued a final determination to Grantees about closing out their grants at the end of FY 2005?
What Can I do to Help?
I've contacted Congress, now what?
Why are you asking us to advocate now -- didn't we just finish advocating for inclusion of Title VII in the 2006 budget?
What are Title VII Health Professions Training Programs?
Title VII health professions training programs are the only federal programs designed to address access to quality healthcare, improve diversity of the healthcare workforce and recruit and retain health care professionals into medically underserved areas. They serve our most vulnerable populations-the elderly, minorities, and those in medically underserved areas. For some, especially those in medically underserved areas, the health professions training programs are the sole source of available health care.
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Why is Title VII Geriatric Health Professions funding important to the future of care for older adults?
Title VII funding for geriatrics training is the only federal program that specifically develops academic geriatricians at a time when more are needed.
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What geriatric health professions training programs were supported under Title VII?
Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (interdisciplinary, community-based linkages section), supports three important geriatrics initiatives:
Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA) support the academic career development of geriatricians in junior faculty positions who are committed to teaching geriatrics in medical schools across the country.
(http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/interdisciplinary/gaca.html)
Geriatric Training for Physicians, Dentists, and Behavioral/Mental Health Professionals funds training for health professionals who plan to teach geriatric medicine, geriatric dentistry, or geriatric behavioral or mental health. Trainees participate in a variety of service rotations such as geriatric consulting services,
acute care services, dental services, geriatric behavioral and mental health units, day and home care programs, rehabilitation services, extended care facilities, and geriatric ambulatory care.
(http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/interdisciplinary/gtpd.htm)
Geriatric Education Centers train health professions faculty, students, and practitioners in diagnosis, treatment, disease prevention, disability, and other health problems of the aged.
(http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/interdisciplinary/gec.html)
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How much funding are the American Geriatrics Society and its coalition partners recommending be included for Title VII geriatric health professions programs in the 2007 budget?
AGS and its coalition partners are asking members of Congress to reinstate FY 2007 funding for geriatric health professions at the FY 2005 level, or $31.5 million.
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Why should I be worried about Title VII funding for geriatric health professions training programs?
The elimination of Title VII funding for geriatric health professions training programs is a grave threat to the health of geriatric medicine. As the number of new physicians going into geriatrics declines and those already in the field approach retirement age, incentives rather than cuts are needed in programs that enhance the training of health professionals in geriatrics. Eliminating these funds will result in decreased access for the growing number of older patients in the U.S. in need of the specialized care provided by geriatric healthcare professionals.
Has HRSA issued a final determination to Grantees about closing out their grants at the end of FY 2005?
In early March, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) alerted all recipients of Title VII geriatric health professions program about its policies regarding closing out of current grants. In its notice, HRSA advised grantees of the steps that each must take to close out grants: (1) Evaluate the impact of the loss of Federal funding on the grant supported activities, including how this loss affects the previously approved activities for your grant's current budget period. It may be appropriate for grantees to redirect staffing and other resources in closing down activities previously supported with HRSA funding, especially if these activities are solely supported by HRSA; and (2) If significant changes are anticipated, grantees are requested to send a revised budget and work plan within 30 days of this notice to your grants management specialist, with a copy to your project officer, for review and approval. Use of grant funds beyond the end of your budget period will require approval of a no-cost extension of the existing budget period. No-cost extension requests must not exceed six months. Click here to access the HRSA primer about Title VII geriatric health professions funding.
As HRSA develops more FAQs on this topic, they will be posted at http://answers.hrsa.gov.
What Can I do to Help?
Make sure to take action via the AGS' advocacy campaign "Restore Funding for Geriatrics Health Professionals Training!!" This campaign offers you a quick and easy way to send a message to your elected representatives in Congress detailing how important it is they restore funding for Title VII Health Professions Training programs as a means of increasing the size of the workforce specialized in providing comprehensive quality care to older Americans. Once you're done sending your message, you'll be prompted to "Tell-a-Friend." Please take this opportunity so your friends and colleagues can also take action.
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I've contacted Congress, now what?
Take a minute to use the Tell-A-Friend Feature in the AGS Advocacy Center and email your friends, family, and colleagues to ask them to advocate for inclusion of Title VII funding in the 2007 budget. All the tools that they need are right here at http://www.americangeriatrics.org/advocacy/toc.asp.
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Why are you asking us to advocate now -- didn't we just finish advocating for inclusion of Title VII in the 2006 budget?
There are two key times in the congressional year where we need advocacy around appropriations issues. Now, while the house and senate are preparing their appropriations bills and late in the year as these bills are reconciled and put to a vote in both houses. Building support now will help us in the home stretch. Together we can make a difference.
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