§ 293k. Family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and physician assistants
(a)
Training generally
The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, any public or nonprofit private hospital, school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, or to or with a public or private nonprofit entity (which the Secretary has determined is capable of carrying out such grant or contract)—
(1)
to plan, develop, and operate, or participate in, an approved professional training program (including an approved residency or internship program) in the field of family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics for medical (M.D. and D.O.) students, interns (including interns in internships in osteopathic medicine), residents, or practicing physicians that emphasizes training for the practice of family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics (as defined by the Secretary);
(2)
to provide financial assistance (in the form of traineeships and fellowships) to medical (M.D. and D.O.) students, interns (including interns in internships in osteopathic medicine), residents, practicing physicians, or other medical personnel, who are in need thereof, who are participants in any such program, and who plan to specialize or work in the practice of family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics;
(3)
to plan, develop, and operate a program for the training of physicians who plan to teach in family medicine (including geriatrics), general internal medicine or general pediatrics training programs;
(4)
to provide financial assistance (in the form of traineeships and fellowships) to physicians who are participants in any such program and who plan to teach in a family medicine (including geriatrics), general internal medicine or general pediatrics training program;
(5)
to meet the costs of projects to plan, develop, and operate or maintain programs for the training of physician assistants (as defined in section
295p of this title), and for the training of individuals who will teach in programs to provide such training; and
(6)
to meet the costs of planning, developing, or operating programs, and to provide financial assistance to residents in such programs, of general dentistry or pediatric dentistry.
For purposes of paragraph (6), entities eligible for such grants or contracts shall include entities that have programs in dental schools, approved residency programs in the general or pediatric practice of dentistry, approved advanced education programs in the general or pediatric practice of dentistry, or approved residency programs in pediatric dentistry.
(b)
Academic administrative units
(1)
In general
The Secretary may make grants to or enter into contracts with schools of medicine or osteopathic medicine to meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or improve academic administrative units (which may be departments, divisions, or other units) to provide clinical instruction in family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics.
(2)
Preference in making awards
In making awards of grants and contracts under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to any qualified applicant for such an award that agrees to expend the award for the purpose of—
(A)
establishing an academic administrative unit for programs in family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics; [1]
(c)
Priority
(1)
In general
With respect to programs for the training of interns or residents, the Secretary shall give priority in awarding grants under this section to qualified applicants that have a record of training the greatest percentage of providers, or that have demonstrated significant improvements in the percentage of providers, which enter and remain in primary care practice or general or pediatric dentistry.
(2)
Disadvantaged individuals
With respect to programs for the training of interns, residents, or physician assistants, the Secretary shall give priority in awarding grants under this section to qualified applicants that have a record of training individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented among primary care practice or general or pediatric dentistry).
(3)
Special consideration
In awarding grants under this section the Secretary shall give special consideration to projects which prepare practitioners to care for underserved populations and other high risk groups such as the elderly, individuals with HIV-AIDS, substance abusers, homeless, and victims of domestic violence.
(d)
Duration of award
The period during which payments are made to an entity from an award of a grant or contract under subsection (a) of this section may not exceed 5 years. The provision of such payments shall be subject to annual approval by the Secretary of the payments and subject to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments.
(e)
Funding
(1)
Authorization of appropriations
For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $78,300,000 for fiscal year 1998, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2002.
(2)
Allocation
(A)
In general
Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall make available—
(i)
not less than $49,300,000 for awards of grants and contracts under subsection (a) of this section to programs of family medicine, of which not less than $8,600,000 shall be made available for awards of grants and contracts under subsection (b) of this section for family medicine academic administrative units;
(ii)
not less than $17,700,000 for awards of grants and contracts under subsection (a) of this section to programs of general internal medicine and general pediatrics;
[1] So in original.