Strengthening Our Rural Health Workforce Act of 2016

Strengthening Our Rural Health Workforce Act of 2016

This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reauthorize the National Health Care Workforce Commission. The commission must track information on the career paths of medical school and residency program graduates and make such information publicly available.

The Department of Health and Human Services must revise the definition of medical residency training programs (rural track training programs) in rural areas so that more health care facilities are able to participate.

The Government Accountability Office must: (1) study and report on graduate medical education funding structures and their success in bringing physicians to practice in rural communities, and (2) report on improving data collection on emerging health care professions.

The bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to redistribute unused residency positions to rural hospitals.

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to (1) reauthorize the Primary Care Residency Expansion Program and Area Health Education Centers, and (2) authorize appropriations through FY2021 for the Quentin N. Burdick Program for Rural Interdisciplinary Training to provide access to health care in rural areas.

The bill incorporates emerging health professionals, such as dental therapists and community paramedics, into existing loan forgiveness programs and other training programs for allied health professionals.

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish mental health and substance use disorder training programs for schools of medicine or nursing, physician assistants, pharmacy, social work, and other allied health professions to ensure that health care providers are able to recognize, diagnose, and treat mental health and substance use disorders.

The bill also funds essential mental and behavioral health education and training grants that are used to recruit and train graduate students in mental and behavioral health fields who practice in rural and other high need areas.