Opinion: Congress: Don’t eliminate funding for the diversity creating Health Career Opportunity Program
The Senate is preparing to make a big mistake with a small budget item.
On Dec. 20, it will vote on its proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year. If approved in its current form, the new budget will completely eliminate the Health Career Opportunity Program (HCOP), a nearly $15 million national pipeline program for diversifying the U.S. health care workforce. Enacted in 1972, HCOP is a federally funded grant program that helps students from economically and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds develop the skills needed to successfully compete for, enter, and graduate from medical, nursing, and other health professional schools.
Private and public universities can apply annually for HCOP funding to support pipeline programs for K-12 and college students. These programs
