1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Underserved Veterans Access to Health Care Act”.
Underserved Veterans Access to Health Care Act
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the number of graduate medical education residency positions at hospitals administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
2. Increase of graduate medical education residency positions
In general— Section 7302 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(e)
“(1) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall establish medical residency programs, or ensure a sufficient number of residency positions in medical residency programs, at medical facilities of the Department that the Secretary determines—
“(A) are experiencing a shortage of physicians; and
“(B) are located in communities that are designated as a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e)).
“(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
“(A) determine the specialty of health care professionals that a location is experiencing a shortage of, including with respect to primary care and mental health;
“(B) allocate the residency positions under paragraph (1) based on such determination; and
“(C) notify Congress of the information used by the Secretary to make such determination.”
Five-Year goal— During the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish not fewer than 2,000 graduate medical education residency positions pursuant to section 7302(e) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). In establishing such positions, the Secretary shall give priority to medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs that—
as of the date of the enactment of this Act, do not have medical residency programs; and
are located in communities that have a high concentration of veterans.