HPNEC: Correspondence - March 6, 2002 Response Letter to the President



Home Members Working Group Testimony Correspondence Events Photo Galleries Funding by State	Correspondence HPNEC Letter to the President Responding to the FY 2003 Proposed Budget March 6, 2002 The President The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: The undersigned members of the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) would like to respond to the FY 2003 budget released on February 4. HPNEC is an alliance of over 30 organizations representing a variety of schools, programs, and individuals dedicated to ensuring that the health professions programs authorized under Title VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act continue to help educate the nation's health care and public health personnel. We are deeply troubled that the budget proposes eliminating most of these programs, effectively destroying a network of initiatives across the country that supports the training of many disciplines of health providers. The budget assesses the health professions programs as "ineffective," and justifies this evaluation on the basis that there still is an acute demand for health professionals in shortage areas, despite the existence of these programs. HPNEC feels that using the worsening shortage of primary care and other health providers as a rationale for eliminating the programs is illogical. In fact, a recent report by the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry quotes a study in the Journal of Rural Health: "In 1997, Title VII funded programs increased the rates of graduates entering health profession shortage areas (HPSAs), resulting in 1357 providers…Doubling the funding of these programs…could decrease the time for HPSAs elimination to as little as six years." The health professions programs are the only federal programs designed to create infrastructures at our schools that facilitate the training of providers to meet the needs of special, underserved populations. Eliminating this resource would be devastating to the country's neediest communities and certainly will not improve access to health care for individuals in these areas. HPNEC applauds the administration's proposal to strengthen the safety net by increasing support for Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps. However, while the proposal seeks to expand the number of health center sites by 1,200, it fails to ensure that these centers are staffed with well-trained health professionals. The NHSC budget, proposed for $191.5 million in FY 2003, is not sufficient to fill the need for health care professionals in underserved areas and does not address the shortage of certain types of providers, such as pharmacists, pediatric dentists, allied health, and public health. The health professions programs are unique in that they seek to recruit providers from a variety of backgrounds. Increasing the diversity of health care professionals is particularly important as studies have shown that those from disadvantaged regions of the country are 3 to 5 times more likely to return to those areas to provide care. The impact of the proposed cuts on the health professionals and communities who rely on the grants would be devastating. In a time when the American people count on their health care providers more than ever, investing in the Title VII and VIII health professions programs will help to ensure that their needs are met now and in the future. Contact Erica Froyd at 202-828-0558 or efroyd@aamc.org with any questions. Sincerely, Administrators in Internal Medicine Ambulatory Pediatric Association American Academy of Family Physicians American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Physician Assistants American Association of Colleges of Nursing American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy American College of Nurse-Midwives American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine American College of Preventive Medicine American Dental Association American Dental Education Association American Dental Hygienists' Association American Nurses Association American Pediatric Society American Society for Clinical Pathology Association of American Medical Colleges Association of Departments of Family Medicine Association of Family Practice Residency Directors Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs Association of Minority Health Professions Schools Association of Professors of Medicine Association of Schools of Public Health Association of Subspecialty Professors Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses California Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine National Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Organization National Association Geriatric Education Centers National Rural Health Association North American Primary Care Research Group Society for Pediatric Research Society of General Internal Medicine Society of Teachers of Family Medicine CC: Secretary Tommy Thompson Mitchell Daniels Jim Capretta