BPMH Glossary

This glossary contains general definitions for terms that are used throughout the BPMH system.  Some terms may be defined in multiple ways by different programs, due to their authorizing statutes and/or the nature of training activities offered.  If you are unsure about how to define a term that is central to your program, please refer to the authorizing statute, the Funding Opportunity Announcement and/or your Government Project Officer for clarification.

A

Attrition is the act of permanently leaving a training program or training activity before completion.  Attrition refers to the number of trainees who permanently left a training program or training activity before completing all requirements.

B

BHW-funded financial awards are monies from a grant funded by BHW that are provided to an individual by a grantee institution or organization for the purposes of defraying costs associated with participation in a training program or training activity (see the table, below).

                                       Types of BHW-Funded Financial Awards

C

Campus-based degree program is a degree program that requires students to complete all academic coursework at the college or university campus.

Contact hours are the number of hours for which an individual receives training in a specific setting. 

Continuing education is a training activity or series of training activities offered to members of the current workforce who have already completed a training program in their profession. Generally, continuing education sessions are offered to existing professionals and do not include or target students as primary participants.

Curriculum is the aggregate content of multiple learning activities offered by an organization in a specific topic area. Commonly, the term curriculum is used to describe the number and type of academic courses within a degree program. The term can also be used to describe the number and type of learning activities for faculty and other non-degree related training programs.

D

Didactic training is the process of instruction between a designated faculty and an individual or group of individuals.

Direct financial support program is a type of grant that provides individuals, via grantee organizations, with a BHW-funded financial award to help defray costs associated with participation in a training program or training activity.

Disadvantaged background is a citizen, national, or a lawful permanent resident of the United States or the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico or the Marianas Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated State of Micronesia who either:

• Comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school, or from a program providing education or training in an allied health profession

        or

• Comes from a family with an annual income below a level, based on low income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. Bureau of Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary, HHS, for use in health professions and nursing programs.

E

Enhanced course or other training activity is a specific type of training activity that was in existence at the grantee institution or organization and has been modified or restructured as part of the grant project.

Enrollee  is an individual who is actively matriculated or registered in a training program or training activity. For the purposes of performance reporting, the training category of "enrollees" does not include graduates, program completers, fellows, or residents. 

Ethnicity  is the ethnic ancestry or origin of an individual or group of individuals. For the purposes of performance reporting, the Office of Management and Budget requires that ethnicity be classified as "Hispanic or Latino Origin" and "Non-Hispanic or Latino Origin". Individuals identifying as "Hispanic or Latino" are of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.  

Experiential training is the process of instruction between a designated faculty and an individual or group of individuals that includes a component of direct work experience.

F

Faculty  is an individual or group of individuals who have been deemed qualified by an organization to provide instruction to others on a specific topic area.  

Faculty development activity is generally a stand-alone single training activity provided to faculty for the purposes of additional training and/or faculty development. Faculty development activities can include conferences, workshops, grand rounds and do not necessarily have to be offered at or by the grantee institution or organization. It is the same as an “Unstructured faculty development activity”.

Faculty instruction are those courses, workshops, seminars, grand rounds or other training activities that are led by faculty for the purposes of providing training to other individuals (e.g., students, fellows, residents). Faculty instruction does not refer to training activities undertaken by faculty for the purposes of additional training or faculty development (see Structured Faculty Development Program and/or Unstructured Faculty Development Activity).

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are public and private non-profit health care organizations that meet certain criteria under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs (respectively, Sections 1861(aa)(4) and 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act), and receive funds under the Health Center Program (Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act).

Fellowship is a training program that provides an individual or group of individuals (known as "fellows" with advanced training in a general content area. Fellows generally receive a financial award to help defray costs associated with advanced training (also referred to as a "fellowship"). 

Full-time is the number of days per week and/or months per year representing full-time effort at the applicant/recipient organization, as specified in organizational policy.  For a student, it means a student who is enrolled full-time, as defined by the organization.  The organization’s policy must be applied consistently, regardless of the source of support.

G

Graduate  is an individual who has completed all requirements for a degree-bearing training program at an educational institution. 

H

Hybrid degree program is a degree program that requires students to complete academic coursework at the campus, as well as through distance learning. 

I

Infrastructure program is a type of grant designed to enhance the scope, quality, and opportunities for health professions training programs or training activities. Infrastructure programs do not provide individuals with any type of BHW-funded financial awards.

Instructional hours are the duration of a training activity or training program in clock hours.

Internship is a type of training activity that can either be: a) a component of a degree-bearing program, or b) entry-level employment that provides an individual with relevant workforce experience.

Interprofessional education is the process of learning among a group of individuals from two or more professions. 

Interprofessional practice is the provision of care or services to an individual or group of individuals by workers from two or more professions. 

M

Medically Underserved Community (MUC) is a geographic location or population of individuals that is eligible for designation by a state and/or the federal government as a health professions shortage area (HPSA), a medically underserved area (MUA) and/or medically underserved population (MUP). These communities have limited access to primary health care services. The term MUC is an umbrella term that can be used to describe any location that meets one or more of the previously identified designations.

Multipurpose/Hybrid program is a type of grant that is designed to: a) provide individuals, via grantee organizations, with a BHW-funded financial award to help defray costs associated with health professions training, and b) enhance the scope, quality, and opportunities for health professions training programs or training activities.

N

Newly developed course or other training activity is a specific type of training activity that was not in existence at the grantee institution or organization and was developed in its entirety as part of the grant project.

O

Online degree program is a degree program that requires students to complete all academic coursework through distance learning.

P

Partner consortium is an organization or group of organizations that provide(s) resources and/or support to grantees for the implementation of training programs and/or training activities.  

Patient encounter is a direct interaction between a designated caregiver and a patient, for the purposes of health care. 

Practicum training is a type of experiential training activity. (See Experiential training)

Primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.

Primary care setting is a facility that is staffed with professionals who provide primary care.
(See Primary care)

Profession & discipline is a phrase that identifies a general occupation (profession), and, where applicable, a type of specialty within that occupation (discipline).

Program completer is an individual who has completed all requirements for a non-degree bearing training program or training activity.
(See Graduate for individuals who complete all requirements of a degree-bearing training program)

Publication is written material that has been submitted to, and accepted by, a publishing authority, as part of a collection of related work. 

R

Race is an individual's self-identified affiliation with one or more of the following origins:

• White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
• Black or African American – A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
• American Indian or Alaska Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains a tribal affiliation or a community attachment.
• Asian – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. 

Residency is a training program that provides an individual or group of individuals (known as "residents") with advanced clinical training in a specialty area.

Residential background is/are the type/s of location/s in which an individual has established residence.

Rural is a geographical area that is not part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). 

   Note: To determine if a specific geographical area is considered rural, go to HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy.

S

Structured faculty development program is a series of curriculum-based training activities that are provided to faculty over a specific amount of time for the purposes of additional training and/or faculty development. Structured faculty development programs can be degree-bearing, certificate-bearing and do not necessarily have to be offered at or by the grantee institution or organization.

Structured training program is a series of curriculum-based training activities that are provided to an individual or groups of individuals over a specific amount of time.

T

Trainee is an individual who participates in a training program or training activity.

U

Underrepresented Minority (URM) is an individual from a racial and/or ethnic group that is considered inadequately represented in a specific profession, relative to the numbers of that racial and/or ethnic group in the general population.

   Note: For the purposes of the health professions, BHW considers individuals who are from the following
   racial and ethnic backgrounds to be underrepresented:

• Black or African American
• Hispanic (all races)
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• American Indian or Alaska Native

Unstructured faculty development activity is generally a stand-alone single training activity provided to faculty for the purposes of additional training and/or faculty development. Unstructured faculty development activities can include conferences, workshops, grand rounds and do not necessarily have to be offered at or by the grantee institution or organization.

Unstructured training activity is generally a stand-alone single training activity that is not part of a curriculum.   

V

Veteran is any person who served in one of the seven (7) uniformed services of the United States. The seven uniform services include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officers Corps.

Vulnerable populations are groups of individuals at higher risk for health disparities by virtue of their race or ethnicity, socio-economic status, geography, gender, age, disability status, and other risk factors associated with sex and gender.