Our Recommendation
For FY 2025, HPNEC urges Congress to provide $1.51 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII and Title VIII workforce development programs.
Title VII and Title VIII programs play an essential role in recruiting a diverse health workforce by supporting underrepresented, rural, and economically disadvantaged students through recruitment, education, training, and mentorship opportunities. Establishing a health workforce with providers from these backgrounds improves patients’ access to care in underserved areas, increases patient satisfaction, and enhances learning environments for health professions students.
Additionally, the HRSA programs play a crucial role in training health providers to meet patients’ ever-changing public health needs. Through developing new curricula to address emerging public health crises (such as COVID-19 or substance use disorders), collaborating with community leaders in educating providers to deliver culturally competent care, or utilizing telehealth to connect with rural and other communities lacking access to care, the Title VII and Title VIII programs have helped to ensure the U.S. health workforce is at the forefront of new health care delivery systems and models of care.
Finally, the Title VII and Title VIII programs emphasize interprofessional education and training, bringing together knowledge and skills across all health disciplines providing effective, efficient, and coordinated care. Interprofessional training across all health professions helps fill the gaps in the workforce and increases health care access for patients.
To help ensure a diverse, rural, and interprofessional health workforce prepared to meet the public health needs of patients across the United States, HPNEC urges Congress to provide $1.51 billion for Title VII and Title VIII in FY 2025.