Public Health Service Act Infant Mortality Amendments of 1987

(Measure passed Senate, amended)

Public Health Service Act Infant Mortality Amendments of 1987 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to increase the FY 1988 authorization of appropriations for existing provisions relating to health centers which provide services to migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families.

Increases the FY 1988 authorization of appropriations for existing provisions relating to community health centers. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary), in making grants to community health centers, to give special consideration to the needs of frontier areas. Requires that, if amounts appropriated for community health centers for FY 1988 exceed a specified amount, the excess shall be available for grants to community health centers for prenatal services to decrease infant mortality and perinatal coordination projects to develop and coordinate referral arrangements between community health centers and other agencies. Directs the Secretary, in making grants from such excess appropriations, to give priority to community health centers in areas in which there is a high or increased incidence of infant mortality.

Directs the Secretary to enter into contracts with schools of medicine and osteopathy for area health education center programs which include training of personnel to offer maternal and child health services in underserved areas, giving priority to programs which train personnel to provide services in areas along the border between the United States and Mexico, in frontier areas, in areas of the Pacific Basin Region, and in areas in which the rate of infant mortality and low birthweight are disproportionately higher than for the State in which such area is located. Requires schools participating in such programs to provide for active participation by the schools' administrative personnel in each of the departments of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine. Exempts schools participating in such programs from existing requirements that not less than ten percent of undergraduate medical or osteopathic clinical education of the school be conducted in an area health education center and locations under the sponsorship of such center. Requires programs to conduct a medical residency program in obstetrics and gynecology enrolling at least six individuals in first year positions. Requires area health education centers to involve nurse midwives in their interdisciplinary training (current provisions require involvement of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners). Increases the authorization of appropriations for FY 1988. Requires, of amounts appropriated for FY 1988, a specified amount to be available for contracts for area health education center programs under this Act.

Amends part A (Special Projects) of title VIII (Nurse Training) of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to make grants to public or nonprofit private schools of nursing, public health, or medicine for fellowship programs for the education of nurse midwives and pediatric, family, obstetric, and gynecologic nurse practitioners. Directs the Secretary, after consultation with educational, nursing, and medical organizations, to prescribe guidelines for the fellowship programs. Specifies minimum requirements to be included in the guidelines. Requires the fellowships to cover, for each year awarded, 100 percent of costs of tuition, books, reasonable living expenses (including stipends), reasonable moving expenses, and transportation expenses. Requires individuals receiving fellowships to be registered nurses. Requires schools of nursing, in awarding fellowships, to give priority to applicants employed in and recommended by a facility serving underserved populations. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988.