To amend the Public Health Service Act to support geriatrics education and training to address the elder care workforce shortage, promote interdisciplinary team-based care, educate and engage family caregivers, and improve the quality of care delivered to older adults, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the “Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act”.
SEC. 2. Education and training relating to geriatrics.
“SEC. 753. Education and training relating to geriatrics.
“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants under this subsection to entities described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) of section 799B, section 801(2), or section 865(d), or other health professions schools or programs approved by the Secretary, for the establishment or operation of geriatric workforce enhancement programs that meet the requirements of paragraph (2).
“(A) Transforming clinical training environments to integrated geriatrics and primary care delivery systems to ensure trainees are well prepared to practice in and lead in such systems.
“(B) Developing providers who can assess and address the needs and preferences of older adults and their families and caregivers at the individual, community, and population levels.
“(C) Creating and delivering community-based programs that will provide older adults and their families and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to improve health outcomes and the quality of care for such adults.
“(D) Providing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) education to the families and caregivers of older adults, direct care workers, health professions students, faculty, and providers.
“(3) DURATION.—The Secretary shall award grants under paragraph (1) for a period not to exceed five years.
“(4) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), an entity described in such paragraph shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
“(iii) programs that offer short-term intensive courses (referred to in this clause as a ‘fellowship’) that focus on geriatrics, gerontology, chronic care management, and long-term care that provide supplemental training for faculty members in medical schools and other health professions schools or graduate programs in psychology, pharmacy, nursing, social work, dentistry, public health, allied health, or other health disciplines, as approved by the Secretary. Such a fellowship shall be open to current faculty, and appropriately credentialed volunteer faculty and practitioners, to upgrade their knowledge and clinical skills for the care of older adults, and adults with functional and cognitive limitations and to enhance their interdisciplinary teaching skills.
“(6) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to any other funding available to carry out this subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $45,800,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023 for purposes of carrying out this subsection.
“(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a program to provide Geriatric Academic Career Awards to eligible entities applying on behalf of eligible individuals to promote the career development of such individuals as academic geriatricians or other academic geriatrics health professionals.
“(ii) an accredited health professions school or graduate program approved by the Secretary.
“(iii) has a junior (non-tenured) faculty appointment at an accredited school of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, dentistry, pharmacy, or other allied health disciplines in an accredited health professions school or graduate program that is approved by the Secretary.
“(C) provides, in such form and manner as the Secretary may require, assurances that such individual has a full-time faculty appointment in an accredited health professions school or graduate program and documented commitment from such school or program to spend 50 percent of the total time of such individual on teaching and developing skills in interdisciplinary education in geriatrics.
“(E) may not require an eligible individual, or an eligible entity applying on behalf of an eligible individual, to be a recipient of a grant or contract under section 753(a) or 750 of title VII of the Public Health Service Act.
“(5) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—An eligible entity receiving an award under paragraph (1) on behalf of an eligible individual shall provide assurances to the Secretary that funds provided to such individual under this subsection will be used only to supplement, not to supplant, the amount of Federal, State, and local funds otherwise expended by such individual.
“(A) AMOUNT.—The amount of an award under this subsection for eligible individuals who are physicians shall equal $75,000 for fiscal year 1998, adjusted for subsequent fiscal years to reflect the increase in the Consumer Price Index. The Secretary shall determine the amount of an award under this subsection for individuals who are not physicians.
“(B) DURATION.—The Secretary shall make awards under paragraph (1) for a period not to exceed five years.
“(C) PAYMENT TO INSTITUTION.—The Secretary shall make payments to institutions which include schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, dentistry, and pharmacy, or other allied health discipline in an accredited health professions school or graduate program that is approved by the Secretary.
“(7) SERVICE REQUIREMENT.—An eligible individual on whose behalf an application was submitted and approved under paragraph (3)(A) shall provide training in clinical geriatrics or gerontology, including the training of interdisciplinary teams of health care professionals.
“(8) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated $5,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023 for purposes of carrying out this subsection.”.