§296j–1 Demonstration grants for family nurse practitioner training programs

Summary

Creates a training program to hire and give one-year, paid clinical training to new family nurse practitioners so they can work as primary care providers in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and nurse-managed health clinics (NMHCs). Secretary means the head of Health and Human Services. FQHC and NMHC are the two kinds of clinics named. The program gives 3-year grants to eligible FQHCs or NMHCs that apply. Grants pay up to $600,000 per year and can be carried over between years. Priority goes to sites that can train at least 3 nurse practitioners a year, give each trainee 12 full months of full-time paid work and benefits, assign at least one staff nurse practitioner or physician to each of four supervised clinics, and offer specialty rotations (including prenatal/women’s health, adult and child psychiatry, orthopedics, geriatrics, plus at least three other high-volume, high-burden areas). Sites should also teach about high-risk, high-volume problems, have experience training care for children, older adults, and underserved people, and work with safety-net providers and schools. Trainees must be licensed or eligible as advanced practice nurses and committed to primary care in FQHCs or NMHCs; bilingual applicants get preference. Start of any National Health Service Corps service obligation is delayed until 22 days after program completion. The Secretary may award technical-assistance grants to experienced FQHCs or NMHCs. Funding was authorized as needed for fiscal years 2011 through 2014.