OSHPD Funds Touro-CA PA Program

At its November 18, 2008 meeting, the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission voted for the second year in a row to award the Joint Program over $43,000 in Song-Brown Program base funding to support the program’s strategic plan to increase the number of underrepresented graduates from the program and to increase the number of graduates from California Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). The program received initial funding in 2007. Touro was among 13 other California universities and colleges applying for funding including Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, UCI, and Cal State Long Beach.

The award is being used to fund a recruitment analyst to assist in the implementation of recruitment strategies to ultimately ensure equitable healthcare access for all Californians consistent with OSHPDs mission.

The Song-Brown Program

The Song-Brown Program provides and suppports funding to family practice, family nurse practitioner and physician assistant training programs. The Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act was passed by the California Legislature in 1973 to encourage program graduates to practice in designated underserved areas of California. It has expanded the training programs of family practice residents and primary care physician assistants by providing needed funding for over 30 years. Later amendments added the authority to fund osteopathic family physician and family nurse practitioner programs.

The Song-Brown Act calls for the appointment of a ten-member California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission. Recent amendments to increase the nurse workforce has increased the membership to fifteen. The Commission is composed of representatives from the University of California, the state's private medical schools, OSHPD, practicing family physicians an physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and consumer representatives.

The Commission adopts standards to determine funding eligibility under the Song-Brown Act and establishes criteria to be used by OSHPD for executing contracts with training institutions. The Commission acts as the applications review panel and makes recommendations to OSHPD for the award of contracts at meetings held three times a year.

The Joint Program looks forward to working with OSHPD in furthering its mission to improve the health status of all Californians.