25 U.S.C. § 1616p — Health professional chronic shortage

Page 265 TITLE 25—INDIANS § 1621 1 See References in Text note below. § 1616p. Health professional chronic shortage demonstration programs (a) Demonstration programs The Secretary, acting through the Service, may fund demonstration programs for Indian health programs to address the chronic short- ages of health professionals. (b) Purposes of programs The purposes of demonstration programs under subsection (a) shall be— (1) to provide direct clinical and practical experience within an Indian health program to health profession students and residents from medical schools; (2) to improve the quality of health care for Indians by ensuring access to qualified health professionals; (3) to provide academic and scholarly oppor- tunities for health professionals serving Indi- ans by identifying all academic and scholarly resources of the region; and (4) to provide training and support for alter- native provider types, such as community health representatives, and community health aides. (c) Advisory board The demonstration programs established pur- suant to subsection (a) shall incorporate a pro- gram advisory board, which may be composed of representatives of tribal governments, Indian health programs, and Indian communities in the areas to be served by the demonstration pro- grams. (Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 123, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 123 of Pub. L. 94–437 is based on section 112 of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as re- ported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Sen- ate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148. PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 1616p, Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 123, as added Pub. L. 102–573, title I, § 117(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4544, authorized appropriations through fiscal year 2000 to carry out this subchapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935. The repeal is based on section 101(b)(1) of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as re- ported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Sen- ate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148. § 1616q. Exemption from payment of certain fees Employees of a tribal health program or urban Indian organization shall be exempt from pay- ment of licensing, registration, and any other fees imposed by a Federal agency to the same extent that officers of the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and other employ- ees of the Service are exempt from those fees. (Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 124, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 124 of Pub. L. 94–437 is based on section 113 of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as re- ported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Sen- ate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148. § 1616r. Repealed. Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(b)(2), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 936 Section, Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 125, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935, was based on section 134(b) of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009 which was en- acted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148 and related to treatment of a scholarship provided to an in- dividual under this subchapter as a qualified scholar- ship for purposes of section 117 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code. SUBCHAPTER II—HEALTH SERVICES § 1621. Indian Health Care Improvement Fund (a) Use of funds The Secretary, acting through the Service, is authorized to expend funds, directly or under the authority of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.),1 which are appropriated under the author- ity of this section, for the purposes of— (1) eliminating the deficiencies in health status and health resources of all Indian tribes; (2) eliminating backlogs in the provision of health care services to Indians; (3) meeting the health needs of Indians in an efficient and equitable manner, including the use of telehealth and telemedicine when ap- propriate; (4) eliminating inequities in funding for both direct care and contract health service pro- grams; and (5) augmenting the ability of the Service to meet the following health service responsibil- ities with respect to those Indian tribes with the highest levels of health status deficiencies and resource deficiencies: (A) Clinical care, including inpatient care, outpatient care (including audiology, clin- ical eye, and vision care), primary care, sec- ondary and tertiary care, and long-term care. (B) Preventive health, including mammog- raphy and other cancer screening. (C) Dental care. (D) Mental health, including community mental health services, inpatient mental health services, dormitory mental health services, therapeutic and residential treat- ment centers, and training of traditional health care practitioners. (E) Emergency medical services. (F) Treatment and control of, and rehabili- tative care related to, alcoholism and drug abuse (including fetal alcohol syndrome) among Indians. (G) Injury prevention programs, including data collection and evaluation, demonstra-