§254c–1 Grants for health services for Pacific Islanders

Summary

The Secretary of Health and Human Services must give grants or make contracts with public or private nonprofit groups that have experience helping Pacific Islanders in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The money must first keep the medical officer training program in Pohnpei going. It can also be used to make health and mental health services better and more available, especially prevention and health promotion, and to improve health data. Grants can pay for training more health workers and improving current workers’ skills (for example dental and advanced nursing programs, training for auxiliary workers, faculty or post‑doctoral training, long‑term planning, and scholarships to help Pacific Basin residents become health professionals). Funds may also raise service quality (labs, x‑ray, pharmacy), fix and maintain facilities and equipment, improve alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services, support local and regional health planning, and strengthen basic public health and primary care for people most in need. The Secretary must create a Pacific Health Advisory Council of 12 people. It will include the health department directors from the places listed above and six members from Hawaii, one of whom must represent the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific. The Secretary will ask the Governor of Hawaii for advice when choosing the five other Hawaii members. The Council must meet at least once a year to recommend funding priorities and to review progress and suggest changes. There is authorization for $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 1993 to carry out these programs.