ASAHP Announces Board of Directors New and Returning Members

Washington, D.C. – The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced new and returning Members for the Board of Directors. As the nation’s leading association focused on advancing health professions education, ASAHP represents over 120 institutions and professional members across the U.S. that educate the healthcare workforce of the future.

All Board members will assume their roles on October 16, 2025, at the conclusion of ASAHP’s 2025 Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

New and returning Board of Directors members include:

Craig R. Jackson, MSW, JD, FASAHP

Dean of the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University, retiring ASAHP President who transitions to the role of Immediate Past President (one year term

Jon Williamson, PhD, FASAHP

Dean, UT Southwestern School of Health Professions, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will assume his new role as President (two- year term)

Fevzi Akinci, PhD, FASAHP

Dean and Professor, Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University, who was re-elected as a Director (three year term) on the Board of Directors.

Susan Gordon-Hickey, PhD, FASAHP

Dean, Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions at University of South Alabama, transitions to the role of Director (three year term) on the Board of Directors after having served the past two years as Secretary.

Lisa L. Dutton, PT, PhD

Dean of the College of Health Professions at Rosalind Franklin University was elected to serve her first term as Secretary (two year term).

Each of these Board Members will support the governance of ASAHP as it continues its mission of being a leading national advocate for higher education institutions and professional members who are training the health professions workforce of the future.

“It has been my honor and privilege to have served as ASAHP president for the past two years and take immense pride in the work we’ve accomplished together to support health professions education," said outgoing ASAHP President Craig R. Jackson, JD, MSW, FASAHP, Dean of the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University. “I’m confident that the future of ASAHP is in exceptional hands. Dr. Jon Williamson will bring a wealth of experience, vision, and dedication to his new role as President, and I know that the new and returning Board members will continue to grow, innovate, and advocate for ASAHP members with passion and purpose.”

About ASAHP
The Association of School Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is a national professional organization of 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. As much as 60% of the U.S. healthcare workforce may be classified as ‘health professions’ which are distinct from medicine, nursing, and dentistry, yet equally vital to the health and wellbeing of our society.

New America Webinar on How Indirect Cost Reform Will Affect University-Industry R&D Partnerships

On September 22 from 2:30-3:30pm Eastern, New America will hold a webinar titled, “ How Indirect Cost Reform Will Affect University-Industry R&D Partnerships”. The webinar will examine the concern about indirect costs and the Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model, a proposed approach to reform indirect cost governance and improve transparency, consistency, and fairness in calculating and covering expenses.

More details may be accessed here.

House Committee Advances FY 26 Labor-HHS Funding Bill

In a mark up which concluded early Wednesday morning, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the FY 26 Labor-HHS bill 35-28 in a party-line vote. According to Republicans, the draft fiscal spending bill proposes a 7% cut in discretionary spending below the FY25 enacted level, while Democrats note it is a 11% cut. The bill includes $108 billion for HHS, a roughly $7 billion cut from FY 25 levels., and includes $67 billion for the Department of Education, a roughly $12 billion cut from FY 25 levels. Democrats strongly opposed the bill. Subcommittee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) remarked that Republicans know this bill will not pass on the floor due to the size and scope of the proposed cuts. In opening remarks, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05) shared, “This bill, whatever we do, will be largely dictated by what the Senate can do.” Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04) noted, “With the President’s leadership, we have taken a critical look at every program and in several cases had to make hard decisions on some ‘nice to have’ programs.” More details may be accessed here, here, and here.

House Appropriations Subcommittee to Mark Up FY 26 Labor-HHS Bill

Today at 5pm Eastern, the House Appropriation Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee will mark up the FY 26 Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

According to the Committee, the Labor-HHS bill provides, “a total discretionary allocation of $184.5 billion, which is $13.7 billion (7%) below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level.” The bill provides a discretionary total of $108 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is $7 billion (6%) below the FY25 enacted level. The Committee would provide a total of $7.1 billion for HRSA, a decrease of $866 million below the FY 2025 level. This recommendation would include $1.4 billion for Health Workforce training, a decrease of $37 million below the FY 2025 level. The bill would provide a total of $7.1 billion for HRSA, $866 million below the FY 2025 level. The bill would provide $1.4 billion for Health Workforce training, a decrease of $37 million below the FY 2025 level.

The bill provides a discretionary total of $67 billion to the Department of Education, which is $12 billion (15%) below the FY25 enacted level. The bill maintains funding for Pell Grants at the discretionary maximum award level of $6,335, which when combined with mandatory funding under current law would continue to support a total maximum award of $7,395, which is level funding.

A Full Committee markup is expected as soon as next week.

The Subcommittee markup may be viewed here. The bill and Republican Committee summary may be found here. Bill summaries from the Committee Democrats may be found here and here.

House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care through the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 10:15 am Eastern, the House Energy &. Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, Chaired by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) will hold a hearing entitled “Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies.”

A hearing memo from the Subcommittee may be accessed here. The hearing may be viewed here.

ASAHP Joins Joint Comments to the Department of Education Regarding Student Loan Caps

ASAHP and 39 other organizations submitted joint comments to the Department of Education’s (ED) Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee as they begin their work on the negotiated rulemaking to implement the student financial aid provisions under Public Law 119–21, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The organizations urged that ED should adopt a clear and inclusive regulatory definition of “professional degree programs” that encompasses any master’s or doctoral degree education generally required for licensure or certification in health professions. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act set new student loan caps for graduate students, with a higher cap for those pursuing a professional degree.

The comments may be accessed here.

The Chronicle of Higher Education Hosts Four-Part Fall Webinar Series on the Trump Administration and Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Education is hosting a four-part Fall webinar series titled, “Trump and Higher Ed: Understanding the Latest”. Webinars will be held September, October, November, and December.

A registration link and more information may be accessed here.

ASAHP Joins Joint Letter Urging Congress to Reauthorize HRSA Title VII Health Professions Programs

ASAHP and 66 other organizations urged Congress to swiftly consider and advance legislation that would reauthorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs, which are set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2025 (September 30, 2025).

The joint letter to Congressional Committee leaders may be accessed here.

Department of Education Publishes Proposed Rule On Public Service Loan Forgiveness with 30 Day Comment Period

On Friday, the Department of Education issued its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to exclude organizations that engage in activities that are illegal from being qualifying employers. The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on August 18 and has a 30-day comment period. Comments can be submitted through regulations.gov. ED expects to finalize the rule by November 1, 2025, so it can go into effect July 1, 2026.

ASAHP Announces Recipients of the 2025 Interprofessional Innovation Grant Program

Washington, D.C. – The Interprofessional Committee (of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is pleased to announce that Augusta University, Stony Brook University and the University of Oklahoma are the three recipients of its 2025 Interprofessional Innovation Grant Program (IIG). 

The ASAHP Interprofessional Innovation Grant (IIG) Program was created to provide support for interprofessional collaboration research among the ASAHP membership. The intent is to provide recipients a competitive edge in securing additional funding to support pilot projects and further develop grantsmanship skill sets. The IIG Program provides funding for innovative, interprofessional projects that relate to the following themes including: curriculum innovations in a remote environment; alternative clinical experiences; telehealth/telework therapies; mental health; technology, artificial intelligence & healthcare; broader impacts of the post  COVID-19 environment, including psychosocial, behavioral, and economic effects; health equity/health disparities (Social Determinants of Health) and healthcare workforce development, among others.

“The 2025 Interprofessional Innovation Grant recipients underscore the value of innovation and creativity in interprofessional education and collaboration,” said ASAHP President Dr. Craig R. Jackson, MSW, JD, FASAHP, Dean of the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University. “It’s our hope that their proposals will lead to more extensive interprofessional research projects that further engage faculty and ASAHP members in research endeavors and demonstrate results that lead to better health outcomes for patients and clients.”

Awardees will be invited to present their work at the 2026 ASAHP Annual Conference.

The following teams have each been awarded $2,000 for their projects:

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

Stakeholder’s Perceptions of Teamwork and Their Correlation to a Client-Centered Outcome Measure

This ongoing research addresses a gap in interprofessional (IP) education by investigating the correlation between teamwork perceptions and patient outcomes in allied health (AH) settings. Few studies focus on patient experiences with IP interventions or their link to functional improvements. Conducted at the student-led Unity Clinic at Keys (UaK), this quasi-experimental study uses patient (PIVOT) and provider (JTOG) surveys, alongside chart reviews for Unified Functional Goal (UFG) achievement. The UaK, combining primary care and rehabilitation, features a robust teamwork design. Preliminary analysis suggests overwhelmingly positive teamwork perceptions among students, facilitators, and patients. The project aims to provide evidence that strong IP teamwork enhances patient experience and functional outcomes, supporting the value of IP education and collaborative care models.

​​“This recognition from ASAHP highlights the leadership of University of Oklahoma faculty from four allied health disciplines and their shared commitment to advancing interprofessional practice, education, and research,” said Dr. Jane Wilson, PhD, RDH, Dean, College of Allied Health, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. “ The work of Dr. Tetnowski, Dr. Milhan, Dr. Barbee, and Dr. Leckie exemplifies OU’s Lead On strategic vision of collaboration and innovation that transforms healthcare delivery and outcomes. Interprofessional teaming is the future of healthcare, and this project will provide a rigorous assessment of its impact on clients, students, and providers. In doing so, it will strengthen the training and care models that benefit communities across our state and beyond.” 

Primary Investigator: Jennifer Thompson Tetnowski, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Allied Health, University of Oklahoma Health

AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY

Interprofessional Baby Lab: A Collaborative Learning Experience in Developmental Observation and Family Engagement

This pilot project proposes the creation of an interprofessional “Baby Lab” to offer students in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and Nutrition the opportunity to engage in structured observation of infants and their caregivers. Volunteer families will bring infants (ages 3 to 18 months) for guided sessions where students analyze developmental milestones, caregiver-child interaction, feeding behaviors, motor development, and early communication skills. Hosted in the Allied Health building, the Baby Lab will involve interdisciplinary teams of students rotating through faculty-guided stations in a simulated home-like environment. Each session will include pre-briefing and debriefing components to enhance learning. The Baby Lab advances experiential learning, strengthens interprofessional collaboration, and prepares students for early identification and intervention in pediatric care. It aligns with ASAHP priorities in workforce development, simulation, and addressing early developmental challenges. Long-term goals include integrating this model into the university’s Simulation Center and securing external funding for broader implementation.

“We are pleased to receive this award from ASAHP,” said Chandramohan Wakade, Associate Dean of Research at College of Allied Health Sciences, Augusta University. “ Dr. Afua Agyapong has put together a simple and elegant interprofessional research proposal with SLP, OT and PT faculty and student learning outcome. This multi-faceted wellness baby lab will address comprehensive pediatric care and provide invaluable interprofessional education to our students.”

Primary Investigator: Afua Agyapong, PhD, CCC-SLP, Associate Professor, College of Allied Health Sciences, Augusta University

STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

Community-Engaged Co-Design of a Mobile Intervention Tool for Enhancing Driving Skills in Neurodiverse Young Adults

This grant will address driving challenges faced by neurodiverse young adults due to sensory, thinking, and emotional factors that limit independence. Current driver rehabilitation options are limited and lack real-world relevance. Using a community-engaged research approach, this project will co-design a mobile intervention tool to supplement traditional driver training. Neurodiverse young adults, care partners, and professionals will help shape the tool’s content and features through focus groups and interviews, ensuring it reflects lived experiences. This work will generate foundational knowledge to guide individualized, technology-supported interventions and inform future clinical studies. By addressing a critical service gap and amplifying neurodiverse voices, the project seeks to improve community mobility and independence. ASAHP funding will support initial data collection and prototype development, laying the groundwork for future external funding and broader impact.

“This grant will significantly support the School of Health Professions’ mission to lead in community-centered, interprofessional, and inclusive health research,” said Stacy Jaffee Gropack, PT, PhD, FASAHP, Dean, School of Health Professions, Stony Brook University. “By addressing the critical and underserved needs of neurodiverse young adults, the project strengthens the school's commitment to health equity and innovation. The community-engaged research approach aligns with the university’s values of collaboration, diversity, and translational science, positioning Stony Brook as a leader in creating meaningful, real-world solutions for populations often excluded from traditional healthcare models.” 

Primary Investigator: Hannah Mercier, PhD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor, School of Health Professions, Stony Brook University

About ASAHP
The Association of School Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is a national professional organization of 130 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. As much as 60% of the U.S. healthcare workforce may be classified as ‘health professions’ which are distinct from medicine, nursing, and dentistry, yet equally vital to the health and wellbeing of our society.

Contact:
Kristen Truong 
kristen@asahp.org
Vice President of Public Affairs
ASAHP

FY 26 Labor-HHS bill Advances Senate Appropriations Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up two of its FY 26 appropriations bills on Thursday, including its $200 billion Labor-HHS bill, which is $1 billion below FY 25 enacted funding levels (according to FY 25 figures from the Congressional Research Service). Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) noted that with the passage of Labor-HHS bill, eight bipartisan bills have moved through her Committee, comprising 87% of the discretionary budget. The Senate Labor-HHS bill moved through the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 26-3. Please find links to the bill text, Majority summary, Minority summary and Committee Report.

The Senate Committee’s bill allocates $79 billion for the Department of Education (ED), whereas President Trump’s budget proposal had requested $66.7 billion for ED. The Senate bill also keeps the maximum Pell grant award at $7,395, despite the White House budget request to lower it to $5,710.

Vice Chair Patty Murray’s (D-WA) remarks highlighted the bipartisan work done by the Committee on the bill, which rejected many of the proposed cuts by the Administration. She also highlighted how the bill rejects the Administration’s proposed cuts to Pell Grants, and increases NIH by $400 million. 

The next step in the appropriations process will occur when the House returns to Washington after Labor Day with a markup of the House Labor-HHS bill in Subcommittee on September 4thand in full Committee on September 9th. It is a near certainty that a Continuing Resolution will be needed to keep the government running after September 30th, though the threat of a government shutdown continues to loom if the Administration and Congressional Democrats cannot agree on the terms of a CR.

Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here.

Department of Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking on Higher Education

The Department of Education announced  yesterday that it will hold two negotiated rulemaking sessions on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s higher education provisions and other Administration priorities.

The Department will hold a virtual public hearing on Thursday, August 7.

The Department will create two committees. The Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee will address federal student loan-related changes, including phase-out of graduate and professional PLUS Loans, establishment of new loan limits and lifetime borrowing caps, the simplification of student loan repayment plans, and more. The Committee will meet September 29 – October 3 and November 3-7, 2025.

The Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee will address Workforce Pell, institutional and programmatic accountability and other issues. The Committee will meet December 8-12, 2025, and January 5-9, 2026.

If the Department publishes final rules by November 1, 2026, the rules will go into effect July 1, 2027.

The announcement is here. Registration for the virtual public hearing is here. More details, including information on submitting comments and committee member nominations are here.

House Appropriations Committee Releases FY 26 Subcommittee Allocations

This week, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) released FY 26 House subcommittee allocations for the twelve appropriations bills. The allocations were approved 35 to 26 in a party line vote in the House Appropriations Committee yesterday. House appropriators are writing their bills to a nearly $1.6 trillion discretionary topline, with about $892.5 billion for defense and $705.6 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. The Labor-HHS bill’s allocation is $184.491 billion. 

The House’s proposed discretionary funding level is almost three percent below the FY 25 level passed in March. Defense spending is proposed to be level funded, and the proposed nondefense discretionary level would be nearly six percent below the FY 25 level, with proposed cuts of $44.7 billion. The House’s proposed level for nondefense discretionary spending is significantly higher than what the White House has called for, as President Trump’s FY 26 budget proposed a 23 percent cut to nondefense discretionary spending. 

The Labor-HHS bill was previously scheduled to be marked up in subcommittee on July 21 and in full committee on July 24, but the House cancelled one week of session earlier this month which pushed back the Committee’s work. The House Labor-HHS bill text is now expected to be released and taken up in early September, when Congress returns from August recess. The House Labor-HHS bill is tentatively set to be marked up in subcommittee on Thursday, September 4 and marked up in full committee on Tuesday, September 9. 

The Senate has not released its full subcommittee allocations, but is expected, like last year, to propose higher spending levels than the House. A Labor-HHS markup in the Senate Appropriations Committee has not been scheduled at this time.   

Congress Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill

On Thursday, the House passed the Senate-passed version of the budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 218-214, sending the Republican party-line package of domestic priorities to President Trump for his signature ahead of the July 4th holiday, meeting their latest self-imposed deadline. President Trump plans to hold a signing ceremony tomorrow. Two Republicans voted against the bill, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). 

The Senate passed the package on Tuesday in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance providing the tie-breaking vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted for the bill after receiving significant provisions for her state. Three Senate Republicans voted against the bill, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). Tillis, who said he was voting against the bill because it would cause many of his constituents to lose Medicaid coverage, announced he would be retiring at the end of this term.

Ahead of the vote for final passage, House Republicans set a record for the longest House vote, holding open a procedural vote for 7 hours and 24 minutes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also set a record for the longest House floor speech. Speaking for 8 hours and 44 minutes, Jeffries said the budget reconciliation package was an “all-out Republican assault on health care”. Regarding the bill’s impact on Medicaid, Jeffries said, “people will die. Tens of thousands, perhaps year after year after year as a result of the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people. I'm sad. I never thought I would be on the House floor saying this is a crime scene."

The package, which extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts, would reduce revenues by $4.5 trillion and reduce spending by $1.2 trillion, adding $3.3 trillion in budget deficits over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The package would increase border security and defense spending. Changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act would result in roughly 11.8 million more uninsured people by 2034, according to the CBO, while SNAP funding would be cut by 20 percent. The debt limit would also be increased by $5 trillion. 

Workforce Pell was included in the Senate and House passed package. After the provision had been found by the Senate Parliamentarian to be in violation of the Byrd rule, the provision was revised to limit eligibility solely to Title IV accredited institutions, eliminating the previous expansion of eligibility for high-quality, workforce programs that met certain requirements. Other education provisions include endowment tax increases, accountability measures, and the streamlining of loan repayment plans, including the termination of the SAVE plans for new loans starting July 2026. 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) discussed two more reconciliation bills this Congress. “You can do a reconciliation budget for each fiscal year [the reconciliation bill which passed this was for the FY 25 year]. So, the plan is to do one in the fall for the FY 26 budget year, and then we can also squeeze in a third one for FY 27 before this Congress is up.” 

An overview from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.

7/10/25 update : A bill summary from the American Council on Education (ACE) may be accessed here.

Department of Education Concludes Negotiated Rulemaking Session on Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The Department of Education concluded its negotiated rulemaking session, with three days of negotiations on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) this week. The Department’s aim is to ensure that employers in the PSLF program are not engaging in activities that a have a substantial illegal purpose, which could be interpreted as organizations that support undocumented immigrants, provide gender affirming care, support terrorism, have a pattern of violating state laws, and more. As negotiators did not reach a unanimous consensus, the Department of Education may write a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), expected in the coming months. After a public comment period, a final rule would follow. If that is published on or before November 1, 2025 then final rules can be implemented on July 1, 2026. A press release, and more details, from the Department of Education may be accessed here.

ASAHP Joins ACE Letter to Senate Leaders on Budget Reconciliation Bill

ASAHP joined the American Council on Education (ACE) and dozens of higher education associations in a letter to Senate leadership to express concerns regarding provisions contained in the Senate reconciliation titles proposed by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Committee on Finance. The letter states concern that cuts to student aid will increase costs to students and erect barriers to developing the workforce, and that new and increased taxes on institutions of higher education will limit student aid and constrain research.

The letter may be accessed here.

House Committee Advances Accreditation Bills

The House Education and Workforce Committee held a full committee mark up on Wednesday, advancing seven bills, including two on accreditation, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act of 2025, and the Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act. The ACE Act aims to prohibit accreditors from considering partisan, political, or ideological factors such as DEI or accessibility policies when evaluation institutions. The Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act, which was introduced five days before the mark up, would require accreditors to use measurable student achievement outcomes.

A Committee press release is here, more details, including a link to watch the markup, are here, and more details on the ACE Act are available here.

House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Hearing on FY 26 HHS Budget Request

Today at 10am Eastern, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 26 HHS budget request, with testimony from HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.

The budget seeks $93.8 billion for HHS, a cut of about $33 billion over the FY 25 enacted level. The budget proposes the consolidation of several programs formerly administered by HRSA, representing a funding decrease of $1.732 billion. This includes a proposed $1 billion cut to health workforce programs, which includes the Title VII and Title VIII programs, targeting programs that provide scholarship and support for individuals to enter health professional careers. 

The Administration proposes to combine multiple HHS agencies, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and some programs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), into a new entity called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).

The budget proposal calls for elimination of a number of programs, to “align investments with the Administration’s priorities, streamline the bureaucracy, reset the proper balance between federal and state responsibilities, and save taxpayer funds.” This includes the proposed elimination of, previosuly within HRSA, “15 workforce programs including some Nursing workforce programs and Medical Student Education.”

In regards to behavioral health, “The budget also invests $129 million in Behavioral Health Workforce Development Programs, including Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, and the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. These programs train and place behavioral health providers in underserved communities. It expands the workforce, integrates behavioral health into primary care, and addresses the shortage of providers, particularly in rural areas where behavioral health services are often provided by primary care providers.”

The hearing may be viewed here.

House Education and Workforce Committee Schedules Markup on Accreditation Bills

The House Education and the Workforce Committee scheduled a full committee markup for Wednesday, June 15, at 10:15am Eastern. The Committee will consider seven bills, including two on accreditation, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act of 2025, and the Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act.

Links to the legislation, and a link to watch the markup are available here. More details on the ACE Act are available here.

ASAHP Joins Letter to Senate Leaders on Budget Reconciliation Bill

ASAHP joined 56 national and state organizations in expressing concern with the higher education provisions in the House-passed budget reconciliation bill, specifically the impacts such cuts would have on health professions education and the future health care workforce. The letter urges the senate to preserve subsidized loans for undergraduates, retain the Grad PLUS Program, and increase the proposed aggregate limit for unsubsidized federal loans, which includes lifetime borrowing for both undergraduate and graduate education.

The letter may be accessed here.