---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 1616p"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "1616p"
heading: "Health professional chronic shortage demonstration programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/1616p"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Indian Health Care"
  - "Subchapter I — Indian Health Professional Personnel"
---

# §1616p. Health professional chronic shortage demonstration programs

- (a) **Demonstration programs—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17), acting through the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), may fund demonstration programs for [Indian health programs](/usc/25/1603.md?p=12) to address the chronic shortages of health professionals.
- (b) **Purposes of programs—** The purposes of demonstration programs under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be—
  - (1) to provide direct clinical and practical experience within an [Indian health program](/usc/25/1603.md?p=12) to [health profession](/usc/25/1603.md?p=10) students and residents from medical schools;
  - (2) to improve the quality of health care for [Indians](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) by ensuring access to qualified health professionals;
  - (3) to provide academic and scholarly opportunities for health professionals serving [Indians](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) by identifying all academic and scholarly resources of the region; and
  - (4) to provide training and support for alternative provider types, such as community health representatives, and community health aides.
- (c) **Advisory board—** The demonstration programs established pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) shall incorporate a program advisory board, which may be composed of representatives of tribal governments, [Indian health programs](/usc/25/1603.md?p=12), and [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) communities in the areas to be served by the demonstration programs.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 123, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section 123 of Pub. L. 94–437 is based on section 112 of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 1616p, Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 123, as added Pub. L. 102–573, title I, § 117(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4544, authorized appropriations through fiscal year 2000 to carry out this subchapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935. The repeal is based on section 101(b)(1) of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148.