Colorado § 25-1.5-407 - Practice-based health education grant program - creation - primary care office to administer.

§ 25-1.5-407. Practice-based health education grant program - creation - primary care office to administer.

(1) Subject to available appropriations, the department shall implement the practice-based health education grant program, referred to in this section as the "grant program", to increase practice-based training opportunities necessary for health profession students enrolled in accredited Colorado schools to complete degree requirements and become licensed to practice or program participants enrolled in other training or residency programs offered by a public or nonprofit Colorado medical school or residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to gain hands-on experience in pursuit of a license in the health-care field.

(2) (a) The grant program shall support the expansion of practice-based training by providing grants to organizations, public or nonprofit Colorado medical schools, or ACGME-accredited residency programs that increase clinical practice-based training capacity for health profession students and program participants. The grant program shall give priority to students from the Colorado public institutions of higher education that offer clinical-based training to students. Organizations, medical schools, and residency programs that receive grants may apply grant funding to costs associated with student and program participant experience coordination, clinical instructors or preceptors, or any other reasonable costs directly associated with the expansion of practice-based training for health profession students or participants in the organization, medical school, or residency program.

(b) The primary care office shall consider the ability of the organizations, medical schools, or residency programs applying for a grant to provide financial or in-kind matching support when the office determines grant awardees, but the office shall avoid disadvantaging small, rural, or nonprofit applicants with a high public payer mix or applicants that disproportionately provide uncompensated care.

(3) The primary care office, referred to in this section as the "office", shall administer the grant program.

(4) In the development of the grant program, the office shall conduct a stakeholder engagement process to recommend:

(a) Grant program eligibility criteria;

(b) Standards to measure applicant capacity to expand practice-based training based upon previous years;

(c) A means to evaluate applicant strategies for reaching expected target practice-based training expansion goals;

(d) Ways to promote evidence-based, technology-enhanced clinical learning opportunities in organizations, medical schools, or residency programs awarded a grant. These opportunities must include clinical simulation lab investments in at least one grant award.

(e) Ways to evaluate applicant principles that are aligned with implementing lasting organizational culture change and internal plans that support staff wellness, retention, and training, such as:

(I) Expanded employee assistance or wellness programs;

(II) Commitment to establishing and maintaining staffing committees tasked with operational input and review of workplace practices; and

(III) Strategies for sustaining increased preceptor and practice-based training capacity;

(f) A statement of principles aligned with equity, inclusion, and diversity goals, especially as they relate to health professional workforce training and development; and

(g) Metrics and reporting responsibilities for grantees.

(5) The general assembly shall appropriate twenty million dollars from the economic recovery and relief cash fund created in section 24-75-228 to the department to implement the grant program. Any unexpended money remaining at the end of the 2022-23 state fiscal year from this appropriation:

(a) Repealed.

(b) Remains available for expenditure until December 31, 2026, without further appropriation; and

(c) Must not be used for any other purpose other than the purposes set forth in this section.

(6) As used in this section, "preceptor" means a health-care professional who is registered, certified, or licensed, as appropriate, pursuant to title 12 and who assumes the responsibility of teaching, supervising, and evaluating a student seeking a credential in a health-care profession discipline as part of the student's clinical training and education.

Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (SB 22-226), ch. 179, p. 1187, § 4, effective May 18. L. 2024: (5)(a) repealed and (5)(b) amended, (HB 24-1465), ch. 257, p. 1685, § 8, effective May 24.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 22-226, see section 1 of chapter 179, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.

PART 5

STATE HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONAL LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM