- Star Grassroots Advocates
- From March 17-18, PAEA hosted the Association’s annual Spring Advocacy Day. The event provided training to PA students and faculty in policy and advocacy and gave participants the opportunity to meet with their congressional representatives and request their support for preserving Grad PLUS loans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Special thanks to all the PA students and faculty who participated from the University of Colorado, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Springfield College, Keck Graduate Institute, and the University of Southern California PA programs. If you would like to read more about this event, check out this article on the PAEA website.
- PAEA’s Government Relations team conducted a virtual advocacy training session with students and faculty at the University of Michigan-Flint PA program on March 25. During the training, students learned about the Association’s key policy priorities, opportunities to advocate on behalf of PA education and the profession, and how to conduct an effective advocacy meeting with their elected officials. Thank you to Stephanie Gilkey, MS, PA.-C., DFAAPA for helping to coordinate the lecture!
- Advancing PAEA’s Advocacy Agenda
- On March 4, the PAEA Government Relations team hosted a webinar entitled, “Navigating Executive Orders and Guidance Impacting PA Education.” The webinar provided updates and answered members' questions regarding recent executive orders and guidance from the Trump Administration that specifically impact PA education. The recording and slides from the webinar are available on PAEA's Digital Learning Hub.
- On March 7, PAEA along with other members of the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP) submitted letters to House and Senate leadership, the House Education and Workforce and Ways and Means Committees, and the Senate Budget, HELP, and Finance Committees. The letters urge that the best interests of students and student loan borrowers be protected in any forthcoming budget reconciliation legislation. The House letter is available here and the Senate letter is available here.
- Health Care News in Washington
- On March 3, the United States Senate voted to confirm Linda McMahon as the Secretary of Education.
- On March 14, Congress passed a full-year CR to keep the government funded through the remainder of FY25, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown.
- On March 20, President Trump signed an executive order titled, “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” which directs the secretary of education to, “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” The secretary of education is also directed to, terminate all federal assistance under the label of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or terms “promoting gender ideology.”
- On March 27, HHS announced the reorganization of the department and its agencies. This includes a reduction in force across the department and the consolidation of several agencies into a newly created Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). Agencies to be combined include:
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- Opportunities for Action
- Your voice matters in advocating for legislation that will positively impact the future of PA education and address healthcare disparities in underserved communities. Please contact your elected officials in Congress and urge them to support the Primary Care Team Education Centers Act.
- To decrease disparities in access to care and ensure there are enough providers to meet patient demand nationwide, reach out to your elected representatives today to advocate for increased funding for all Title VII health workforce development programs for fiscal year 2026.
- If you are committed to improving PA education as well as access to care for vulnerable patients, contact your elected representatives in Congress and tell them to support the Rural Health Preceptor Tax Fairness Act.
- As we face the impending expiration of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) mandatory authorization, we need your help to fight for solutions that safeguard against growing workforce shortages. Please contact your representatives today to urge them to preserve the current NHSC pipeline and field strength through a robust mandatory funding level.
- PA students deserve access to borrowing options that empower them to address growing health workforce shortages and provide quality patient care without sacrificing their financial health after graduation. Please contact your elected officials in Congress and urge them to oppose the elimination of Grad PLUS as part of any future legislative proposal or budget reconciliation process.
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