To effectively close these gaps and ensure that every patient receives high quality care, health professions programs need to produce enough providers to meet demand in every community across the country. Both new and existing Title VII programs are designed with this exact goal in mind, making investment in the following programs critical:

• The Health Careers Opportunity Program, which provides targeted K-16 programming targeted to marginalized students to expose them to the possibility of pursuing a career in the health professions and ensure they have the resources necessary to matriculate into a program;
• Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, which provide financial support to ensure that underrepresented students are retained in their programs through graduation;
• Area Health Education Centers, which facilitate clinical placements for PA and other health professions students in underserved areas through partnerships between academic institutions and community-based providers;
• Primary Care Training and Enhancement grants, which provide high-quality clinical training experiences for students, incentivize students to practice in underserved areas, and increase the number of clinicians practicing in primary care; and
• The Rural Maternal and Obstetric Care Training demonstration program, which would provide funding to PA education and other health professions programs to support clinical training opportunities in community-based settings.

As the FY 2024 appropriations process progresses, we need your help to ensure that these investments are made. Please contact your representatives today to urge them to support increased funding for all Title VII health workforce development programs for fiscal year 2024.