Nicole V. Baptista
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health held a hearing Wednesday, September 10, 2008, to discuss legislation that would provide loan repayment to clinical researchers from disadvantaged backgrounds. The loan repayment program is part of the Veterans Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2008 (HR 6153), a bill that aims to address targeted recruitment and retention issues in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
The legislation, first introduced May 22, 2008, authorizes VHA to establish its first loan repayment program. HR 6153 could provide the beginnings of a loan repayment system that could one day mirror that of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
During the hearing, Joleen M. Clark, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chief Officer of Workforce Management and Consulting, spoke of the necessity of offering loan repayment to VA physicians. According to Ms. Clark, “clinicians with medical specialization and research interests who might otherwise consider careers in clinical care or clinical research opportunities with VHA are…less likely to do so because Department of VA employees are not eligible for the [loan repayment] program.” Ms. Clark also encouraged Congress to make the VHA Education Debt Reduction Program available to all employees, including individuals in time-limited clinical research training positions such as research career development awards. Currently, the program is available to those hired for permanent positions. According to Ms. Clark, there are no costs associated with this proposal, and “it would not increase the funding of this program, but simply authorize VA researchers to participate in it.”
Supporters of the loan repayment program should contact the House Committee on VA Subcommittee on Health to express support for this effort and for broadening the portfolio of programs it would allow VA to establish, including loan repayment programs for any VA researcher committing to a career in clinical research. Please fax all communication to Subcommittee on Health Chair Mike Michaud (D-ME) at (202) 226-4536.