(a) In general

The Secretary may make grants or contracts under this section to help entities fund activities of the type described in subsection (b).

(b) Activities

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Activities of the type described in this subsection include the following:

(1) Assisting entities in meeting the costs associated with expanding or establishing programs that will increase the number of individuals trained in allied health professions. Programs and activities funded under this paragraph may include—

(A) those that expand enrollments in allied health professions with the greatest shortages or whose services are most needed by geriatric populations or for maternal and child health;

(B) those that provide rapid transition training programs in allied health fields to individuals who have baccalaureate degrees in health-related sciences;

(C) those that establish community-based allied health training programs that link academic centers to rural clinical settings;

(D) those that provide career advancement training for practicing allied health professionals;

(E) those that expand or establish clinical training sites for allied health professionals in medically underserved or rural communities in order to increase the number of individuals trained;

(F) those that develop curriculum that will emphasize knowledge and practice in the areas of prevention and health promotion, geriatrics, long-term care, home health and hospice care, and ethics;

(G) those that expand or establish interdisciplinary training programs that promote the effectiveness of allied health practitioners in geriatric assessment and the rehabilitation of the elderly;

(H) those that expand or establish demonstration centers to emphasize innovative models to link allied health clinical practice, education, and research;

(I) those that provide financial assistance (in the form of traineeships) to students who are participants in any such program; and

(i) who plan to pursue a career in an allied health field that has a demonstrated personnel shortage; and

(ii) who agree upon completion of the training program to practice in a medically underserved community;

that shall be utilized to assist in the payment of all or part of the costs associated with tuition, fees and such other stipends as the Secretary may consider necessary; and

(J) those to meet the costs of projects to plan, develop, and operate or maintain graduate programs in behavioral and mental health practice.

(2) Planning and implementing projects in preventive and primary care training for podiatric physicians in approved or provisionally approved residency programs that shall provide financial assistance in the form of traineeships to residents who participate in such projects and who plan to specialize in primary care.

(3) Carrying out demonstration projects in which chiropractors and physicians collaborate to identify and provide effective treatment for spinal and lower-back conditions.

(4) Increasing educational opportunities in physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions, which may include offering scholarships or stipends and carrying out other activities to improve retention, for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds or individuals who are underrepresented in such professions.