Back to Basics

Under the title of Public Health & Workforce Development are a number of grants, scholarships and other programs, providing training, services and a whole new array of studies relating to health care – a lot of money being spent to support the expansion of government, special interests, illegal immigrants and labor unions, but little to help solve the health care issues.

The first expansion is the establishment of the Public Health Investment Fund, which requires deposits from the revenues of the Treasury in the amount of $88,700,000,000 over 10 years. This money is authorized to be appropriated by the Committee on Appropriations of the House and Senate for carrying out the activities under the designated public health provisions. These areas include Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps Program, National Health Service Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs, Primary Care Loan Funds, Primary Care Education Programs, Nursing Workforce Development, The National Center for Health Statistics and the Agency For Healthcare Research and Quality.

To make these programs even more appealing is the stipulation that “Amounts appropriated under this section, and outlays flowing from such appropriations, shall not be taken into account for purposes of any budget enforcement procedures including allocations under section 302(a) and (b) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act and budget solutions for fiscal years during which appropriations are made from the fund.” More spending without any concern for balancing the budget or controlling the country’s deficit. We don’t have it, but let’s spend it!

The first program – Community Health Centers – will obtain increased funding in the amount of $38,800,000,000.

The National Health Service Corps is being amended allowing the Secretary to issue waivers to individuals who enter into a contract for obligated service to pay for their education. It further raises the loan repayment amount from $35,000 to $50,000 and will be adjusted thereafter to reflect inflation. Additional appropriated funds for this program are $796,000,000 over the next 10 years. Additional funding is authorized in the amount of $3,171,000,000 over 10 years to cover the National Health Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs.

The Frontline Health Providers Loan Repayment Program will be established to address unmet health care needs in certain areas, populations, or facilities as designated by the Secretary. Individuals participating in this program must agree to serve for a period of 2 years in a health professional needs area specified in the program. This program has a clause that if there are an insufficient number of applicants for the program, then all excess funds from the program will be transferred to the National Health Service Corps to recruit more people to take advantage of this fund.

The Secretary shall establish a primary care training and capacity building program consisting of grants and contracts to plan, develop, operate or participate in accredited professional training in the field of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics or geriatrics. Funds for this program are from the Public Health Investment Fund in the amount of $3,023,000,000 for 10 years and will include the following:

• Capacity Building in Primary Care – grants to specialties of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics or geriatrics, with preference given to entities that train individuals who are from underrepresented minority groups or disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Training of Medical Residents in Community-Based Setting – a program established for the training of medical residents in community-based settings, with preferences given to entities that support teaching programs addressing the health care needs of vulnerable populations or are a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic, as well as preference to those training individuals from underrepresented minority groups or disadvantaged background.

• Training for General, Pediatric or Public Health Dentists and Dental Hygienists – grants and contracts to plan, develop, operate or participate in an accredited professional training program or oral health professionals, with preference given to individuals who are from underrepresented minority groups or disadvantaged backgrounds.

Grants for Health Professionals Education – Advanced Education Nursing Grants is being amended, including increases in dollar amounts for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. Funding for this program is $1, 450,000,000 over 10 years.

The Public Health Workforce Corps is being amended and expanded by the following: Creating the Public Health Workforce Scholarship Program, Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program, Enhancing the Public Health Workforce, and Preventive Medicine and Public Health Training Grant Program. Appropriations for these programs total $642,000,000 over 10 years. The Enhancing the Public Health Workforce even includes provisions for veterinary medicine! I’m not sure how veterinarians will provide quality health care to people or decrease health care costs, but it’s nice to see even our animals will be included in the grant programs.

Under the Subtitle “Adapting Workforce to Evolving Health System Needs” there are a number of grants and programs including:

• Health Professionals Training for Diversity, which includes scholarships for disadvantaged students, loan repayments and fellowships regarding faculty positions, and educational assistant in health professions regarding individuals from disadvantaged background.

• The Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants is being amended and adding the Coordination of Diversity and Cultural Competency Programs.

• The Secretary will establish a cultural and linguistic competency training program for health care professionals, including nurses, consisting of grants and contracts to develop and implement models of cultural and linguistic competency training. Preference will be given to entities that address cultural and linguistic needs of the population and health disparities, and placing health professionals in regions experiencing significant changes in the cultural and linguistic demographics of populations, including communities along the United States-Mexico border. Obviously this program will benefit all the illegal immigrants coming from Mexico to obtain free health care.

Appropriations for these programs total $1,138,000,000 over 10 years.

Grants and contracts are given to develop training programs to promote the delivery of health services through interdisciplinary and team-based models, with preferences given to entities that demonstrated training to the greatest number of health professionals who serve in underserved communities.

When did the values of Americans change?  When did we become a society of people who believe in entitlement rather than one of responsibility?  When did the government and the people decide it was time to send this country into a spiral that is destined to end the freedom once cherished?

This country once had the belief that through hard work and dedication one could obtain the American dream.  They believed throughout the ages, that no one should be denied the opportunity to try.  When a neighbor was in need, it didn’t take a law to provide them assistance, but the values from the community that would come forward to help them.  We still see it today when there is a disaster that affects people.  How many people come out to donate time, money, blood and other resources to help those in needs?  It didn’t take a law demanding their help.  They do it because each one believes in one another.  How many people contribute to the local food banks, or to the school community to provide for children at the beginning of each school year or for gifts for Christmas?  We do it naturally because we believe in it.

So in the charity so many are willing to give, unfortunately there are those who believe they not only have a right to this charity but they demand it.  We owe it to them.  We owe you nothing.  We do it because we want to, not because we owe you.

Society today has become one of people believing we owe them.  They no longer believe they have to work to obtain what they need to survive, but feel it is their right to have these things and more.  Many make a career out of taking from the hardworking citizens.

My daughter is a high school teacher and, as she vents her frustrations to me on a weekly basis, I hear about the vast change in values of our youth.  A number of students still work hard to earn their grades.  But a good many of them feel they should be given a grade or pass the class because of their ultimate goals.  They don’t want to put in the work to honesty earn these grade, but instead feel they are entitled to them.  They are not willing to take responsibility for their own actions or lack of them.  Parents and/or students complain because their son or daughter can’t participate in sports because a certain teacher “gave them a failing grade.”  Did that son or daughter not earn that failing grade?  Parents complain to the administration when their son or daughter can’t get in to a certain college because they did not receive grades allowing them entrance to that college.  Instead of the student taking responsibility for their actions they blame the teacher and demand the grade be changed.  Teachers who don’t respond to these threats by giving in are often criticized by the administration for not being responsive to their students and parents.

This only sets up the precedent for future actions of these youth.  When they obtain a job they feel they are entitled to a paycheck and keep the job even though they show up for work late, call off often, and don’t do the job required of them.  No one should criticize this behavior because we owe them.

The programs the government offers are there to help people in time of need.  Many people make a career out of it.  The larger the family, the more they get, so they continue having children even though they cannot afford to support those they already have.  They take no responsibility.  We owe them.

Now we are faced with 12 million illegals in this country, demanding services, because we owe them.  The Mexican government is pushing for the US to pass amnesty for these illegals because we owe them.  We owe them nothing!  They not only demand free services but expect us to change to accommodate them.  They expect us to learn their language, but do nothing to learn ours.  We did not force you into this country, you came here illegally.  So if you do not like what this country has to offer, then GO HOME!  But don’t expect us to change to suit your needs.  We do not owe you.

Health care reform demonstrates yet another entitlement program.  Nowhere in the constitution does it say that one is entitled to health care.  As responsible and compassionate citizens we feel no one should be denied medical care for life saving efforts.  Programs today exist to allow you the opportunity to obtain that care.  However, the abuse of these programs has lead to higher medical costs for everyone.  So now when those who have been responsible, have obtained health care insurance and pay more than their share in taxes, are speaking out against a major reform that not only gives you more health care but takes away from ours, we are accused of being right-wing radicals and un-American.  BUT WE OWE YOU NOTHING!

As I was talking to my daughter this past weekend about the bill, I pointed out some of the provisions to her.  She kept saying “but they [government] can’t do that.”  I kept repeating “it’s in the bill.”  People in the past have had faith in our government to uphold our basic constitutional rights – even though we may and do disagree with many of their actions.  As long as our basic rights remained there was always hope.  The faith in our government is being crushed by the actions of our president and the people elected to represent us in Congress.  Actions taken in the last few months question their commitment, not only to the citizens, but to the country.