Department of Education Outlines Strategies to Increase Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education

Today, the U.S. Department of Education released “Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education,” a report to guide state and higher education leaders on policies and practices to advance diversity on college campuses. The report reviews evidence-based strategies and promising practices in the areas of outreach, admissions, financial aid and funding, and college completion, and is meant to serve as a resource to help guide institutions and states as they respond to the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina et al. (collectively “SFFA”).

The Department of Education press release may be accessed here. The report may be accessed here.

Department of Education Announces Gainful Employment Final Regulations

Today, the Department of Education released an unofficial copy of its final gainful employment regulations. According to the Department, the rule “will protect approximately 700,000 students a year from career training programs that leave graduates with unaffordable loan payments or earnings no better than what someone who did not pursue postsecondary education earns in their state.” The final rule also includes a new Financial Value Transparency (FVT) framework, that will give students in all programs detailed information about the net costs of postsecondary programs, and the financial outcomes they can expect.

More details may be accessed here.

How a Government Shutdown Could Affect the Department of Education and Colleges

A federal government shutdown will occur on Sunday, October 1, if a federal spending stopgap is not signed into law before then. Many Education Department employees are likely to be furloughed, and the shutdown could affect the Department’s regulatory ambitions.

An article from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.

House Hearing on How the Supreme Court's Ruling on Race-Based Admissions is Shaping University Policies

On Thursday, September 28, at 10:15am Eastern, the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing on, “How SCOTUS’s Decision on Race-Based Admissions is Shaping University Policies”.

More details are here. The hearing may will be streamed live here.

ASAHP Awards $60,000 in 2023 Interprofessional Collaboration Research Grants

Washington, D.C.  – Today, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced that its Interprofessional Collaboration Research Grants, in the total amount of $60,000, have been awarded to two recipients: Dr. Jie Gao for effects of a park visitation program for low-income seniors and Dr. Cathy Torrington Eaton for interventions to improve communication during interactions with aphasic patients. The grant program led by ASAHP’s Research Committee is designed to support innovative research projects with the highest potential to produce new knowledge and paradigms towards success in interprofessional collaboration.

"We are thrilled to announce the two recipients of the 2023 ASAHP Interprofessional Collaboration Grant Program. At ASAHP, we are committed to fostering innovation and collaboration in healthcare education,” said ASAHP President Deb Larsen PhD, FASAHP. “This grant program, which was increased to $60,000 total this year, represents a significant investment in the future of interprofessional health professions research. We look forward to seeing the impactful initiatives that will emerge from this year’s grant recipients and the positive change they will bring to the health professions.”

Both grant recipients will be invited to present their work at the 2024 ASAHP Annual Conference.

Here is more information about this year’s recipients:

A Park Visitation Program: An Interprofessional Collaboration to Address the Healthcare Needs of Older Adults in Low-income Senior Housing

$30,000 grant awarded to
Primary Investigator (PI) Jie Gao, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr. Jie Gao, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM and PI of this project said, “The rising number of older adults with suboptimal health in low-income senior housing creates a need to develop low-cost health promotion strategies and support healthy aging of the residents. The positive impacts of urban park visitation on individuals’ health and wellness have potential to improve the residents’ physical and mental function. This interprofessional research project will address this healthcare need and evaluate the effects of a park visitation program on the mental health of residents living in low-income senior communities.”

“Our school’s core values include compassion, service, and social responsibility – these are at the heart of Dr. Gao’s work with our senior communities and their mental health,” said UAB School of Health Professions Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., FASAHP. “We are proud of Dr. Gao’s efforts and look forward to expanding this research and service that positively supports the fastest growing population in the U.S.” 

Improving Communication with Aphasic Patients: An Interprofessional Experience for Future Allied Health Providers

$30,000 grant awarded to
Primary Investigator (PI) Cathy Torrington Eaton, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

When discussing the grant project, Dr. Eaton shared “Aphasia, a complex communication disorder, is one of the most devastating impairments following stroke and is linked to a variety of poor healthcare outcomes. To improve health outcomes, healthcare professionals need skills for conversing with individuals with aphasia. This Interprofessional Education (IPE) project targets key ingredients in an intervention aimed at improving communication across allied health disciplines to enhance students’ knowledge and behaviors during interactions with aphasic patients.”

“This exciting interprofessional program will raise awareness among health professions students and clinicians as they learn how to communicate more effectively with people with aphasia. The skills and insights they gain will make a meaningful difference in the lives of people with aphasia and their loved ones,” said David Shelledy, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, dean and professor of the School of Health Professions at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. 

About ASAHP
The Association of School Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is a national professional organization of 120 universities and employers focused on critical issues affecting health professions education. ASAHP’s mission is to  advance health professions education and discovery through interprofessional collaboration, leadership, excellence, and innovation.

2023 ASAHP Call for Committee Members

The 2023 ASAHP Call for Committee Members is now open, and we welcome your participation. You will be able to read the goals of each committee here and indicate your interest in joining a committee. We invite you to share the Call for Committee Members with your colleagues and faculty. Committee members must be part of an ASAHP member institution.

1. Clinical Education Committee (6 open spots) – apply here

2. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (7 open spots) – apply here

3. Education (10 open spots) – apply here

4. Interprofessional Committee (1 open spot) – apply here

5. Leadership Development (5 open spots) – apply here

6. Partnerships, Alliances, and Advocacy Committee (11 open spots) - apply here

7. Research, Discovery, and Innovation Committee (1 open spot) - apply here

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Committee term appointments are two years beginning October 2023-October 2025. Members will have the option to apply for a second term at the conclusion of their first term. (Note: These are long-term working committees to help implement the new ASAHP strategic plan, not an immediate job to be done.)

Thank you for your continued engagement with ASAHP.

State Protections Against Medical Debt

Medical debt, or personal debt incurred from unpaid medical bills, is a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. As many as 40% of U.S. adults currently are in debt because of medical or dental bills. A new report from the Commonwealth Fund discusses findings from a review of federal and state laws to protect patients from medical debt and its negative consequences.  

It can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2023/sep/state-protections-medical-debt-policies-across-us.

Department of Education Call for Nominations for Negotiated Rulemaking on Student Debt Relief

The Department of Education has issued a call for nominations for negotiators to represent a variety of categories in an upcoming negotiated rulemaking session on student debt relief. Nominations must be received by September 14. Negotiators selected by the Department will meet virtually on October 10-11, November 6-7, and December 11-12 to discuss ideas for regulatory reform. Sessions will be open to the public and include opportunities for public comment.

More details may be accessed here.

How States Are Protecting Consumers From Medical Debt

Nearly 40% of U.S. adults are burdened by medical debt incurred from health care costs they are unable to meet. A new report from the Commonwealth Fund examines the web of laws and regulations designed to protect patients from medical debt. 

The report can b obtained at State Protections Against Medical Debt: A Look Policies Across US | Commonwealth Fund.

Developing Educators at Cleveland Clinic: A Systems Approach Webinar

ASAHP's Clinical Education Committee will be hosting "Developing Educators at Cleveland Clinic: A Systems Approach" on Thursday, September 14 at 1pm ET. The webinar will define characteristics of a systems-based approach to faculty development in a large healthcare system, discuss the Office of Educator & Scholar Development (OESD) approach to interprofessional educator and scholar development at Cleveland Clinic, and discuss skills and knowledge needed by all educators.

Register here.

Managed Care In The Medicare And Medicaid Programs

The Office of Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a strategic plan to align its audits, evaluations, investigations, and enforcement of managed care plans in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. 

More information about the plan is available at https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/featured-topics/managed-care/.

Call for Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework 5-year Revision Workgroup Members

The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, convened by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research, is seeking health professions and public health faculty with expertise in population health to serve on a national curriculum revision workgroup for one year beginning in October 2023.   Faculty experts are needed to serve on four component-specific workgroups of the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework (Framework), a national teaching resource that provides a common core of knowledge for clinical health professions about individual and population‐oriented prevention and health promotion efforts. The Framework was first published by the Task Force in 2004 and undergoes revision every five years.

Curriculum Revision Workgroups

1.    Foundations of Population Health: Quantitative and analytic skills used to assess, compare, describe, and monitor the health of populations.

2.    Clinical Preventive Services & Health Promotion: Evidence-based, health promotion and disease prevention interventions in the clinical setting.

3.    Clinical Practice & Population Health: Opportunities and disciplines that require individual- and population-based health perspectives.

4.    Health Systems & Health Policy: Systems and policies that help to govern the health and healthcare system, including collaborations between the clinical care and public health communities.

Curriculum Revision Workgroups Charge

The role of the workgroups is to address redundancy, gaps, and recommend major and minor editing for their respective Framework Component. Workgroups will also review edits proposed to other Components and may participate in the open comment period revisions and final review.  The Workgroups will assemble comments and proposed edits into one document for sharing with the Task Force and other curriculum revision workgroups in December 2023, March 2024, and May 2024. 

Responsibilities of Workgroup Member

·  Contributes to the development of themes and general goals for the Component revision, considering health equity, the pandemic, and changes to global health since the last revision.

·  Provides comments and specific editing suggestions (in MS Word Track Changes or Google Doc).

·  Compares and aligns proposed edits with content of other Framework Components.

·  Identifies evidence-based resources that support the Component’s content and revisions as needed.

·  Attends quarterly virtual meetings of the workgroup. 

·  Reviews draft and final versions of the Curriculum Framework.

·  Participates in dissemination efforts.

Eligibility to Serve on Workgroups

The Task Force encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and geographic areas. Individuals wishing to serve on a workgroup must be either an APTR faculty member or member representative (departmental membership) or health professions faculty nominated by one of the organizations represented on the Task Force.

Length of Service: 

October 2023 through December 2024

Estimated Time Commitment:

3 hours/month October-May; 1 hour/month June-December 

How to Serve

Complete the Self-Nomination Form by September 22, 2023.  Workgroup members will be selected to balance expertise, perspectives, and geographic distribution on each workgroup. Selections will be made by mid-October.

Questions? Contact vsc@aptrweb.org

SELF-NOMINATION FORM (https://fs7.formsite.com/APTR/CurriculumRevision/index)

More details may be accessed here.

Congratulations to the IPEC and COF 2023 Interprofessional Education Collaboration Awardees

Last month on June 29, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) and the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health (COF) hosted a ceremony at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Learning Center in Washington, DC to celebrate innovation in interprofessional engagement. The IPEC Membership Meeting and IPEC/COF Award Ceremony also featured poster presentations by honorable mention finalists. All honorees were recognized for their innovative and transformative solutions to improve the health of their communities.

Learn more here.

Joint Commission And National Quality Forum Combine Forces

The National Quality Forum will combine with the Joint Commission, while maintaining its independence in convening and developing consensus-based measures. The affiliation will allow both groups to build upon their shared expertise in measuring quality and rationalizing the measurement landscape. The focus shifts from competing measures to advancing key outcomes.  

More information is available at https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-multimedia/news/2023/08/joint-commission-and-national-quality-forum-join-forces/.

Responding To Clinician Burnout And Moral Injury

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund explores the causes of burnout and moral injury, and how health care leaders have begun to respond. Some initiatives are going beyond wellness to create structured processes for soliciting clinician input and identifying problems that might require systemic solutions. 

The report can be obtained at Transforming Care: Burnout and Moral Injury Among Clinicians | Commonwealth Fund.

Department of Education Releases Resources on How Universities May Address Race in Admissions

The Department of Education and the Department of Justice released resources on how universities may address race in admissions, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in June rejecting race-based affirmative action. The Department of Education also plans to circulate a best practices document to the field in September.

Resources from the Department of Education and Department of Justice, including a Dear Colleague letter and Q&As, may be accessed here. An article from the Washington Post may be accessed here.

ASAHP Travel Award to 2023 ASAHP Annual Conference

The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions is sponsoring a travel award for a faculty member belonging to an underrepresented group to help cover the cost of attending the 2023 ASAHP Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL. There will be one award this year of $1,000 each for an attendee at large from an ASAHP member institution.

Deadline: September 1, 2023

The 2023 ASAHP Annual Conference theme is "Moving Forward – Emerging Practices and Lasting Changes in Higher Education and Health Professions" and will take place at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL. The dates are October 17-19, 2023.

We will hear from nationally recognized speakers on issues currently impacting health professions education and practice along with over 210 concurrent and poster presentations will be offered on issues including

• Technology in Health Professions Education and Practice

• Models of Excellence for Interprofessional Education/Collaboration

• Improving Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

• Enhancing Wellness in Academic Communities

• Addressing Shortages in Health Professions Education and Practice

• Select Topics Related to Health Professions