HPNEC: Correspondence - July 12, 2002 Letter to Senate Appropriations Committee



Home Members Working Group Testimony Correspondence Events Photo Galleries Funding by State	Correspondence Letter to Senate Appropriations Committee July 12, 2002 The Honorable Robert Byrd Chairman Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate S-128 Capitol Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Mr. Chairman: The undersigned members of the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) urge you to support increased funding for the health professions programs in the FY 2003 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. HPNEC, an informal alliance of organizations representing a variety of schools, programs, providers, and community-based initiatives dedicated to educating health professions personnel, recommends $550 million in FY 2003 for the Title VII and VIII health professions programs. This amount will enable these programs to fulfill their mission of providing a health professions workforce that meets the health care needs of the public. We are deeply concerned by the 72 percent cut proposed by the Administration for the health professions programs. The budget provides only a minimal increase to the Title VIII nursing programs, and eliminates funding for all Title VII health professions programs, with the exception of $10 million for the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students and $1 million for workforce information and analysis. This is troubling because serious health professions shortages continue to exist, particularly in rural and other underserved areas. The Title VII and VIII programs increase the number of providers and enhance the diversity of the healthcare workforce by recruiting and training more underrepresented minorities. Consequently, the graduates of these programs are 3-10 times more likely to practice in medically underserved areas than graduates of non-funded programs, and at times, they serve as the only source of health care in many disadvantaged communities. While there are many competing interests that must be considered in the FY 2003 budget, a top priority for Americans is access to quality health care, and the health professions and nursing education programs are a critical element in providing this access. The members of HPNEC urge you to consider the importance of these programs while configuring the Labor-HHS budget. Thank you for your continued efforts to improve health care in this country. Sincerely, Administrators of 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 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 Geriatrics Society American Nurses Association American Pediatric Society American Psychological Association American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Program Directors in Internal Medicine Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions Association of Schools of Public Health Association of Subspecialty Professors Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine Association of University Programs in Health Administration California Area Health Education Center Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine NAADAC - The Association for Addiction Professionals National Area Health Education Centers Organization National Association of Geriatric Education Centers National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems North American Primary Care Research Group Society for Pediatric Research Society of General Internal Medicine Society of Teachers of Family Medicine University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP)