zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize Medicare payment for the services of qualified radiologist assistants.

Date: 2011-09-22
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act - Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to the impacts of climate change on health systems. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) publish a national strategic action plan to assist health professionals to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change on public health in the United States and other nations, particularly developing nations; (2) revise such plan periodically to reflect new information on the impacts of climate change on public health; (3) establish a permanent science advisory board to provide advice and recommendations on the domestic and international impacts of climate change on public health; and (4) contract with the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine to prepare a report that assesses the needs for health professionals to prepare for and respond to climate change impacts on public health.

Date: 2011-11-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Primary Care Workforce Access Improvement Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a pilot project under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to test models for providing payment for direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) to medical education entities (MEEs), not otherwise eligible to receive such payments, for the costs of training primary care residents. Requires testing of two of the following model MEEs: (1) a community-based independent corporate entity collaborating with two or more hospitals to operate one or more primary care graduate medical residency training programs (training hospitals); (2) a MEE, with at least one community representative on its board, which is established by two or more training hospitals which may be the sole corporate members of the MEE; (3) a hospital subsidiary or independent corporation, with community participation in its governance, that operates one or more training programs for a hospital; or (4) a MEE (including a university or school of medicine) independent of any hospital but collaborating with one in operating one or more primary care graduate medical residency training programs.

Date: 2011-12-14
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
National Nurse Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General. Includes among the duties of such position providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, conducting media campaigns, and providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness. Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Date: 2011-12-15
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Emergency Medic Transition Act of 2012 or the EMT Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program of awarding grants to states to assist veterans who received and completed military emergency medical training while serving in the United States Armed Forces to become, upon their discharge or release from active duty service, state-licensed or certified emergency medical technicians. Allows such funds to be used to: (1) provide such veterans required course work and training (that takes into account, and is not duplicative of, medical course work and training already received) to satisfy emergency medical services personnel certification requirements in the civilian sector; (2) provide reimbursement for costs associated with such course work and training and with applying for licensure or certification; (3) expedite the licensing or certification process; and (4) enter into an agreement with an educational institution to provide course work and training under this Act. Requires a state, to be eligible for a grant under this Act, to demonstrate that it has a shortage of emergency medical technicians. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) study the barriers experienced by such veterans seeking to become licensed or certified in a state as civilian health professionals; and (2) report on the results of such study, including recommendations on whether the program under this Act should be expanded to assist veterans seeking to become licensed or certified in a state as health providers other than emergency medical technicians.

Date: 2012-02-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program consisting of awarding demonstration grants to states that demonstrate a shortage of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to streamline state requirements and procedures in order to assist veterans who completed military EMT training while serving in the Armed Forces to meet state EMT certification, licensure, and other requirements. Requires $1 million of the amount authorized to carry out the area health education center program to be authorized to carry out this Act for FY2013-FY2017.

Date: 2012-03-01
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Physician Reentry Demonstration Program Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a demonstration program to assist the development of innovative programs that facilitate physician reentry into clinical practice to provide required primary health services; and (2) award one grant, on a competitive basis, to an eligible entity in each of the 10 regions served by a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regional office. Includes as eligible entities: (1) a state, hospital, academic medical center, medical school, or health center; or (2) a nonprofit organization with a demonstrated history or expertise in providing physician education and with the ability to offer programs specifically targeted at reentering physicians. Requires the Secretary to use not more than 15% of funds appropriated for this Act to work with key stakeholders to: (1) conduct a national needs assessment with regard to the supply of physicians who provide primary health services, (2) develop a database that contains a directory of programs that help physicians reenter clinical practice, (3) disseminate evidence-based assessments and evaluation tools to measure the basic core competencies of physicians reentering clinical practice, and (4) assist state regulatory authorities and hospital credentialing committees to structure requirements for reentering physicians r that ensure patient safety while addressing the burdens on such physicians. Directs an entity that receives funds under this Act to use such funds to assist qualifying physicians through: (1) training to reenter clinical practice, (2) paying credentialing and other necessary fees, (3) paying salaries, or (4) providing loan repayment and other financial assistance. Requires a reentering physician who participates in a demonstration program, to be eligible to receive benefits, to provide required primary health services for at least two years at a health center, a Veterans Administration Medical Center if the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) certifies that there is a shortage of physicians at such center, or a school-based health center. Sets forth provisions regarding liability protection for reentering physicians participating in a demonstration program.

Date: 2012-06-01
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers that: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care; (2) develop and disseminate curricula relating to the palliative treatment of the complex health problems of individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care to patients with serious or life-threatening illness; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; (6) establish traineeships for individuals who are preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care nursing, home care, hospice, long-term care, or other nursing areas that specialize in palliative care; and (7) do not duplicate the activities of existing education centers funded under such Act. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to, and enter into contracts with: (1) schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine; and (2) eligible nurse practitioner, midwifery, nurse anesthesia, and advanced nurse education programs to meet the costs of palliative care and hospice career incentive awards. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals to promote their career development as academic hospice and palliative care physicians; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields to foster greater interest among a variety of health professionals in entering the field of palliative care; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train and educate individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.

Date: 2012-07-19
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Patient Centered Quality Care for Life Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a Patient-Centered Health Care and Quality of Life Stakeholder Strategic Summit to: (1) analyze key health system barriers to providing patient-centered health care that integrates symptom management and other aspects of coordinated or palliative care; and (2) identify strategic solutions for collectively addressing quality of life concerns for the rapidly expanding population of patients and survivors facing serious, complex, and chronic illness in the United States and for the families of such patients and survivors. Requires the Secretary to establish a Summit Steering Committee, which shall draft a summary report detailing Summit recommendations for a national strategic action agenda to improve patient-centered care and quality of life. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a national quality of life education and awareness grants program initiative for seriously ill patients, their families, and health professionals who treat them for the purposes of encouraging an increased demand for and delivery of integrated and patient-centered care for managing their pain and symptoms and improving their quality of life. Requires the Director to award competitive grants to develop new and expand existing information, resources, and communication materials about symptom management and other aspects of patient-centered care as an integral part of quality care for serious illnesses. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a health care professional workforce training grants program initiative for purposes of promoting and enhancing symptom assessment and management, communications skills, coordinated patient-centered care, and other quality of life focused clinical core competencies across all clinical specialties that serve seriously ill patients and patients with multiple or complex chronic diseases. Requires the Secretary: (1) to update and expand the September 2002 HRSA report, titled "The Supply, Demand and Use of Palliative Care Physicians in the United States"; (2) to establish a Quality of Life Cross-Agency Advisory Committee to assist the CDC and HRSA in conducting the national quality of life education and awareness initiative and the health care professional workforce training initiative and to disseminate initiative findings for cross agency implementation of best practices; and (3) acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop and implement a strategy to be applied across NIH institutes and centers that is in accordance with the Advisory Committee's recommendations to expand national research programs in symptom management, palliative, psychosocial, and survivorship care.

Date: 2012-07-19
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Aligning Incentives for Better Patient Care Act of 2011 [sic] - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) except from the prohibition against certain physician referrals and other compensation any incentive payments promoting quality and efficiency that are made under a quality incentive agreement between a physician and a qualified hospital, (2) prescribe requirements for such agreements, and (3) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide a quality incentive ombudsman with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Amends SSA title XI to exempt such incentive payments from certain civil money penalties as well as from criminal penalites for illegal remunerations.

Date: 2012-07-24
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction and Graduate Medical Education Accountability and Transparency Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DME) costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for each of FY2013-FY2017 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital. Directs the Secretary to determine the total number of additional residency positions available for distribution, in accordance with guidelines for allocating 33% to hospitals already operating over the resident limit, and generally setting the aggregate number of increases in the resident limit to 3,000 in each year. Specifies the process for distributing positions. Directs the Secretary to establish and implement procedures under which the amount of payments that a hospital would otherwise receive for indirect medical education (IME) costs for discharges occurring during a fiscal year is adjusted based on the reporting of measures and the performance of the hospital on measures of patient care priorities specified by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress and the National Health Care Workforce Commission on the graduate medical education (GME) payments, including both direct GME payments and IME payments, that hospitals receive under the Medicare program. Directs the Comptroller General to study: (1) the physician workforce, and (2) strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.

Date: 2012-08-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Restoring the Doctors of Our Country through Scholarships Act of 2012 or the RDOCS Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants under which states provide RDOCS scholarships, paying all costs of a student's undergraduate medical education, to provide for the increased availability of primary health care services in health professional shortage areas. Requires the scholarship recipient to agree to residency training in a primary care specialty and a five-year post-graduate period of service in a health professional shortage area. Requires that preference be given in award of scholarships to applicants enrolled in: (1) an accelerated track family-medicine program (an integrated course of study allowing completion of undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education in six years), or (2) a program that includes clinical training in rural or underserved urban communities. Sets a minimum rate at which federal funding must be matched.

Date: 2012-09-13
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2012 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DME) costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for each of FY2013-FY2017 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital. Directs the Secretary to determine the total number of additional residency positions available for distribution, in accordance with guidelines for allocating 33% to hospitals already operating over the resident limit, and generally setting the aggregate number of increases in the resident limit to 3,000 in each year. Specifies the process for distributing positions. Directs the National Health Care Workforce Commission established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to study the physician workforce. Directs the Comptroller General to study strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.

Date: 2012-09-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Strengthen the Public Health Service Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into an agreement for the establishment and operation of a student loan fund with any public or other nonprofit school that offers a graduate program in professional psychology. Revises provisions concerning the collection of health professions data, sex discrimination in medical education programs, and definitions to make these applicable to "professional" (rather than "clinical") psychologists.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Strengthen Social Work Workforce Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include a graduate program in clinical social work or a program in social work among health professions schools eligible for grants to support programs for underrepresented minorities. Includes graduate programs in clinical psychology, graduate programs in clinical social work, and programs in social work among health education programs eligible for grants to: (1) provide scholarships to disadvantaged students,and (2) offer faculty positions to disadvantaged students. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to, and enter into contracts with: (1) schools offering degrees in social work to provide support for geriatric training projects; (2) hospitals, schools, or other entities to plan, develop, and operate or participate in an approved social work training program and to provide financial assistance to program participants that are planning to specialize, work, or teach in the field of social work; and (3) schools offering social work programs to establish, maintain, or improve academic administrative units to provide clinical instruction in social work. Authorizes health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to offer health services through a clinical social worker as provided for under state law.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Psychologists in the Service of the Public Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a psychology postdoctoral program to make grants to and enter into contracts with eligible individuals and institutions to encourage the provision of psychological training and services in underserved treatment areas. Requires individuals to possess a doctoral degree in psychology and to agree to provide services to a medically underserved population during the grant and at least one year thereafter. Requires institutions to use provided amounts for fellowships to such individuals.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Pharmacist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make pharmacists eligible for educational loan repayment through the National Health Service Corps in exchange for service in a health professional shortage area.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Pharmacy Dual Degree Program Act of 2011 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that there should be established a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) dual degree program, which would: (1) improve patient outcomes, (2) help health providers meet the unique needs of rural communities across the age continuum and in diverse settings, (3) enhance collaboration between DNPs and physicians regarding drug therapy, (4) provide for research concerning and the implementation of safer medication administration, (5) broaden the scope of practice for pharmacists through education and training in diagnosis and management of common diseases, (6) provide new employment opportunities, and (7) assist in filling the need for primary care providers with an expertise in geriatrics and pharmaceuticals. Calls for additional research and evaluation to be conducted to determine the extent to which graduates of such a program improve primary health care, address disparities, diversify the workforce, and increase quality of service for underserved populations.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act of 2011 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the state option to include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as primary care case managers. Specifies as primary care case managers any nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant that provides primary care case management services under a primary care case management contract. Revises the coverage of certain nurse practitioner services under the Medicaid fee-for-service program to remove the specification of certified pediatric nurse practitioner and certified family nurse practitioner in order to extend such coverage to services furnished by a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Includes nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists in the mix of service providers which Medicaid managed care organizations are required to maintain.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each Medicare participating hospital to implement a hospital-wide staffing plan for nursing services furnished in the hospital. Requires the plan to require that an appropriate number of registered nurses provide direct patient care in each unit and on each shift of the hospital to ensure staffing levels that: (1) address the unique characteristics of the patients and hospital units; and (2) result in the delivery of safe, quality patient care consistent with specified requirements. Requires each participating hospital to establish a hospital nurse staffing committee which shall implement and oversee such plan. Specifies civil monetary and other penalties for violation of the requirements of this Act. Sets forth whistleblower protections against discrimination and retaliation involving patients or employees of the hospital for their grievances, complaints, or involvement in investigations relating to such plan.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1986 to include within the definitions of "member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew" and "public safety officer" for purposes of eligibility for public safety officers' benefits an officially recognized or designated employee or volunteer member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew that: (1) is a public agency or a nonprofit entity serving the public that is officially authorized or licensed to engage in rescue activity or to provide emergency medical services and that is officially designated as a prehospital emergency medical response agency, and (2) is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services. Cancels $12 million of unobligated balances available under the Department of Justice (DOJ) Assets Forfeiture Fund. Makes this Act applicable to injuries sustained on or after June 1, 2009.

Date: 2011-02-17
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Emergency management
Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations for payments associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs.

Date: 2011-05-12
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.

Date: 2011-05-12
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize state-licensed or -registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators in an outpatient setting as authorized providers of Medicare diabetes outpatient self-management training services, including as part of telehealth services, under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Comptroller General to study the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. Directs the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program of grants to allopathic or osteopathic medical schools for the purposes of constructing, renovating, or improving school facilities and increasing the supply of physicians. Sets forth criteria for the allocation of funds, with priority given to new schools, schools looking to create a new branch of an existing school, and schools that serve medically underserved areas.

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Medical Education Development Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program of grants to newly accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools to support scholarships, develop residencies, build infrastructure, recruit and retain faculty, and develop research programs, for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians. Directs the Secretary to: (1) give first priority to schools accredited to admit students from FY2009-FY2014, (2) provide increased funding to schools that enroll larger classes while maintaining competitive faculty-to-student ratios, and (3) allocate funds to only schools that provide accountability and transparency in expending such funds. Requires: (1) each school to report annually on the specific uses of funds received and on how the grant has benefited the region and the nation; and (2) the Secretary to report annually on the extent to which such grants have increased the supply of physicians, resulted in greater access to health care, enabled the creation of new care models, provided economic regional benefits, and increased the focus on medical students' communications skills.

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Health Emergencies Lack Provider Specialists Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make eligible for the National Health Service Corps loan repayment and scholarship programs specialists needed to serve medically underserved areas or populations that have needs for particular specialists related to a public health emergency declaration based upon environmental health hazard-related health concerns.

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Veterans to Paramedics Transition Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize entities receiving rural emergency medical service training and equipment grants to use grant funds to provide required coursework and training to enable military veterans to satisfy emergency medical services personnel certification requirements, as determined by the appropriate state regulatory entity.

Date: 2011-09-14
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DME) costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for each of FY2013-FY2017 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital. Requires the aggregate number of increases in the otherwise applicable resident limit to be 3,000 in each of FY2013-FY2017, of which 1,500 in each such fiscal year shall be used for full-time equivalent residents training in a shortage speciality residency program. Specifies the process for distributing positions. Directs the National Health Care Workforce Commission to study the physician workforce. Directs the Comptroller General to study strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.

Date: 2011-09-23
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2012- Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps to include optometry health services. Includes optometrists within: (1) the fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, (2) the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, and (3) the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.

Date: 2012-03-15
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Graduate Medical Education Reform Act of 2012 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement procedures under which, beginning in FY2017, the amount of payments that a hospital would otherwise receive for indirect graduate medical education (GME) costs for discharges during a fiscal year is adjusted based on the hospital's performance on measures of patient care priorities. Requires the Secretary to specify measures of patient care priorities, including the extent of training provided in: (1) the delivery of services categorized as evaluation and management codes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, (2) a variety of settings and systems, (3) the coordination of patient care across settings, (4) the relevant cost and value of various diagnostic and treatment options, (5) interprofessionality and multidisciplinary care teams, (6) methods for identifying system errors and implementing system solutions, and (7) the use of health information technology. Requires such measures of patient care to be: (1) adopted or endorsed by an accrediting organization, and (2) consensus-based. Allows such measures to include any submitted by teaching hospitals, medical schools, and other stakeholders. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress and the National Health Care Workforce Commission on the GME payments hospitals receive under Medicare.

Date: 2012-05-17
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers that: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care; (2) develop and disseminate curricula relating to the palliative treatment of the complex health problems of individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care to patients with serious or life-threatening illness; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; (6) establish traineeships for individuals who are preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care nursing, home care, hospice, long-term care, or other nursing areas that specialize in palliative care; and (7) do not duplicate the activities of existing education centers funded under such Act. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to, and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine; and (2) eligible nurse practitioner, midwifery, nurse anesthesia, and advanced nurse education programs to meet the costs of palliative care and hospice career incentive awards. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals to promote their career development as academic hospice and palliative care physicians; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields to foster greater interest among a variety of health professionals in entering the field of palliative care; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train and educate individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.

Date: 2012-07-19
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Chiropractic Membership in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make chiropractic personnel eligible for appointment in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Surgeon General to ensure that Doctors of Chiropractic are trained, equipped, and otherwise prepared to fulfill public health and emergency response service responsibilities in the Commissioned Corps.

Requires the President to appoint no fewer than six Doctors of Chiropractic into the commissioned Regular Corps and the Ready Reserve Corps.

Directs the Surgeon General to submit a quarterly report to the relevant congressional committees on measures taken by the President, Surgeon General, and the Secretary to carry out this Act.

Date: 2013-01-04
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations for payments to children's hospitals for expenses associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs.

Date: 2013-01-15
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
National Nurse Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General. Requires the individual serving as the National Nurse for Public Health to serve also as the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service. Includes among the duties of such position providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, conducting media campaigns, and providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness.

Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Date: 2013-02-04
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Primary Care Workforce Access Improvement Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a pilot project under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to test models for providing payment for direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) to medical education entities (MEEs), not otherwise eligible to receive such payments, for the costs of training primary care residents.

Requires testing of two of the following model MEEs: (1) a community-based independent corporate entity collaborating with two or more hospitals to operate one or more primary care graduate medical residency training programs (training hospitals); (2) a MEE, with at least one community representative on its board, which is established by two or more training hospitals which may be the sole corporate members of the MEE; (3) a hospital subsidiary or independent corporation, with community participation in its governance, that operates one or more training programs for a hospital; or (4) a MEE (including a university or school of medicine) independent of any hospital but collaborating with one in operating one or more primary care graduate medical residency training programs.

Date: 2013-02-04
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Access to Frontline Health Care Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and carry out a Frontline Providers Loan Repayment Program under which the Secretary agrees to make student loan repayments in exchange for a health professional providing frontline care services for two years in a frontline care scarcity area.

Defines "frontline care services" as health care services in the fields of general surgery, optometry, ophthalmology, chiropractic, physical therapy, audiology, speech language pathology, pharmacies, public health, podiatric medicine, dietetics, occupational therapy, general pediatrics, respiratory therapy, medical technology, otolaryngology, or radiologic technology.

Date: 2013-02-14
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps to include optometry health services.

Includes optometrists within: (1) the fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, (2) the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, and (3) the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.

Date: 2013-02-28
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include occupational therapists within the definition of "behavioral and mental health professionals" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps.

Date: 2013-03-07
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DGME) costs.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for each of FY2015-FY2019 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital.

Directs the Secretary to determine the total number of additional residency positions available for distribution, in accordance with guidelines for allocating 33% to hospitals already operating over the resident limit, and generally setting the aggregate number of increases in the resident limit to 3,000 in each year.

Specifies the process for distributing positions.

Declares that, for discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2015, the indirect teaching adjustment factor, with respect to additional payments for subsection (d) hospitals with indirect costs of medical education (IME), insofar as those additional payments are attributable to resident positions distributed to a hospital according to such process, shall be computed in a specified manner with respect to those resident positions.

(Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Directs the National Health Care Workforce Commission established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to study the physician workforce.

Directs the Comptroller General to study strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.

Date: 2013-03-14
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.

Date: 2013-03-19
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Access to Quality Diabetes Education Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize state-licensed or -registered certified diabetes educators or state-licensed or -registered health care professionals who specialize in teaching individuals with diabetes to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the individual's diabetic condition and are certified as a diabetes educator by a recognized certifying body.

Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program.

Requires the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and other health care providers as well as the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.

Date: 2013-03-19
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers.

Requires such Centers to: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care for individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (2) develop and disseminate related curricula; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; and (6) establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Truth in Healthcare Marketing Act of 2013 - Prohibits any person from making any deceptive or misleading statement, or engaging in any deceptive or misleading act, that: (1) misrepresents whether such person holds a state health care license; or (2) misrepresents such person's education, training, degree, license, or clinical expertise.

Requires any person who is advertising health care services provided by such person to disclose the applicable license under which such person is authorized to provide those services.

Deems a violation of this Act to be an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study and report to Congress on health care professionals' misrepresentations under this Act.

Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed or have the effect of changing state scope of practice for any health care professional.

Date: 2013-04-09
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health
Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter into contracts for preventive health care training of rural health care practitioners.

Date: 2013-04-15
Topic: Health (Manpower)
Subject: Health