Nicole V. Baptista
The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) supports the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2009 (S 973/HR 2251), which aims to eliminate projected physician workforce shortages by increasing the number of Medicare-funded residency training positions by 15%. AAIM urges you to contact your members of Congress and encourage them to support this important piece of legislation.
In its letter, the alliance applauds the bill’s cosponsors for introducing the only health care reform proposal that increases graduate medical education positions to address the projected physician workforce shortage. In addition, the alliance supports the bill’s aim to reverse burdensome Medicare regulations that make it difficult for teaching hospitals to train residents in non-hospital settings.
As Congress works to finalize its health care reform proposals this month, it is imperative the academic medicine community generates support for the inclusion of language that increases graduate medical education positions as the key step to address workforce and access issues. Contact your members of Congress today and encourage them to co-sponsor the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act.
To find contact information for your representative and senators, please visit www.house.gov and www.senate.gov. You can also recruit additional cosponsors through the Association of American Medical Colleges website.
S 973, introduced May 5, 2009, by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) is cosponsored by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY) introduced the companion bill, HR 2251, in the House; Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Representative Kendrick Meek (D-FL) are cosponsors.