Health Care Workforce Innovation Act of 2025
The Health Care Workforce Innovation Act of 2025 would create a new Health Care Workforce Innovation Program under the Public Health Service Act. The program aims to fund innovative, community-driven education and training models for allied health professionals—such as medical assistants, dental hygienists, technicians, interpreters, and other support and paraprofessional roles—with a focus on expanding the workforce in underserved and rural communities. Eligible grantees would include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), state associations or consortia that represent FQHCs, certified rural health clinics, and accredited nonprofit postsecondary vocational programs that train allied health professionals for primary care settings. Grants would fund partnerships with schools and clinical training sites, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, internships, and other training and workforce development activities, with an emphasis on community needs, scalability, and replicability. Grant funds may be used to launch or expand innovative partnerships and training programs that improve readiness and pathways into health care careers, prioritize inclusion of individuals from underserved backgrounds, and improve access to medical, behavioral health, and oral health services in underserved areas. Funding is limited to at least three years per model, cannot cover construction or substitute existing funding, and has a per-grant cap of $2.5 million. Recipients would report periodically on outcomes, and the program emphasizes cost-effective replication in other communities.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of the Health Care Workforce Innovation Program to support community-driven education and training of allied health professionals, prioritizing underserved and rural areas.
- 2Eligible recipients include Federally Qualified Health Centers, state associations/consortia of FQHCs, certified rural health clinics, and accredited nonprofit post-secondary vocational programs training allied health professionals for primary care.
- 3Applications must include a detailed plan covering training in accredited programs or partnerships, the community-driven model and target professions, geographic need data, benefits to trainees, recruitment/retention/well-being, sustainability, scalability/replicability, infrastructure and support costs, and additional Secretary-determined information.
- 4Authorized uses of funds include establishing/expanding partnerships with high schools, vocational schools, area health education centers, and clinical sites; expanding pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship programs; preceptorships; internships and career ladders; and funding training equipment, supplies, and minor renovations. Funds cannot be used for construction or to supplant existing funding.
- 5Funding duration is at least three years per model, with a grant cap of $2.5 million per grant; priority given to models that increase diversity from underserved backgrounds, improve access in underserved areas, or are cost-effective and easily replicable. Recipients must periodically report outcomes to the Secretary.