Erin L Patel1, Jeffrey M Bates1, Jocelyn K Holguin1, Stacy D Pommer1, Samuel S King1, Paul B Greenberg1, Anthony P Albanese1, Karen M Sanders1, Marjorie A Bowman1. 1. is an Acting Chief, Health Professions Education; is an Acting Director, Associated Health; and are National Affiliations Officers, Associated Health; is a Statistician, Associated Health; is an Acting Chief Academic Affiliations Officer; is a Senior Advisor; all in Office of Academic Affiliations, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). is Chief of Medicine, VA Northern California Health Care System. is an Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health, Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs. Paul Greenberg is a Professor of Surgery (Ophthalmology), Alpert Medical School, Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Anthony Albanese is a Clinical Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Addiction Medicine) at UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, California. Karen Sanders is a Professor, Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. Marjorie Bowman is an Emeritus Professor at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Approximately 21,000 US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health professions trainees per year are in associated health (AH) occupations. We describe the VA Office of Academic Affiliation's expansion of AH education in recent years and highlight the importance of increasing AH education broadly in the United States. Our focus is on the growing role of AH education in the VA over the past decade by describing the demand for AH professionals in all clinical settings; scope of funded AH training in the VA; and targeted AH education expansion efforts. OBSERVATIONS: The VA provides clinical training for more than 40 AH professions and provides funding for 17 of these professions. Expansion efforts in AH over the past 10 years have yielded a 33% increase in stipend-funded positions and targeted interprofessional training, VA strategic initiatives, rural populations, and conversion of pregraduate-degree positions to postgraduate-degree positions. CONCLUSIONS: In order to meet the complex health care needs of our nation, continued attention to interprofessional care and health professions education is of paramount importance. The VA has worked to address these broad needs and to meet the needs of veterans through increasing stipend-funded AH training positions by 33% and directly targeting high-need clinical areas. Ongoing expansion is anticipated in the areas of postgraduate-degree training and rural training.
PURPOSE: Approximately 21,000 US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health professions trainees per year are in associated health (AH) occupations. We describe the VA Office of Academic Affiliation's expansion of AH education in recent years and highlight the importance of increasing AH education broadly in the United States. Our focus is on the growing role of AH education in the VA over the past decade by describing the demand for AH professionals in all clinical settings; scope of funded AH training in the VA; and targeted AH education expansion efforts. OBSERVATIONS: The VA provides clinical training for more than 40 AH professions and provides funding for 17 of these professions. Expansion efforts in AH over the past 10 years have yielded a 33% increase in stipend-funded positions and targeted interprofessional training, VA strategic initiatives, rural populations, and conversion of pregraduate-degree positions to postgraduate-degree positions. CONCLUSIONS: In order to meet the complex health care needs of our nation, continued attention to interprofessional care and health professions education is of paramount importance. The VA has worked to address these broad needs and to meet the needs of veterans through increasing stipend-funded AH training positions by 33% and directly targeting high-need clinical areas. Ongoing expansion is anticipated in the areas of postgraduate-degree training and rural training.
Authors: Marisa Elena Domino; Ching-Ching Claire Lin; Joseph P Morrissey; Alan R Ellis; Erin Fraher; Erica L Richman; Kathleen C Thomas; Mitchell J Prinstein Journal: J Rural Health Date: 2018-04-17 Impact factor: 4.333