HPNEC: Correspondence - Letter to all Senators Urging Restoration of Title VII Funding in FY 2004 Budget



Home Members Working Group Testimony Correspondence Events Photo Galleries Funding by State	Correspondence Letter to all Senators Urging Restoration of Title VII Funding in FY 2004 Budget July 16, 2003 Dear Senators: We are writing to express our grave concern regarding the level of support in the FY 2004 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill for programs focused on improving the accessibility, quality and racial and ethnic diversity of the health care workforce. The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed $423.7 million for "health professions appropriations." The Senate report (S. Rept. 108-81) directs $290 million of this total toward Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education and $112.7 million to the Title VIII nursing programs, leaving just $21 million for the Title VII health professions programs, a 93 percent cut below the FY 2003 level of $308 million. This elimination of funds for the health professions programs would irreparably harm the safety net. These programs are the only federal programs designed to train providers in interdisciplinary settings to meet the needs of special and underserved populations, as well as increase minority representation in the health care workforce. Additionally, these programs provide the necessary support to address the growing shortages of pediatric dentists, pharmacists, medical laboratory personnel, allied health, nursing, and public health professionals throughout the country. Moreover, Title VII programs help address the geographic maldistribution of providers by training them to deliver care in underserved areas, including rural and inner-city communities. We understand that there are many competing priorities in your fiscal year 2004 bill; however, essentially eliminating the Title VII health professions funds and freezing the Title VIII nursing funds, as proposed in the FY 2004 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill, would be devastating to our country's neediest communities. That is why we urge you to restore funding to the Title VII and VIII health professions programs to at least the FY 2003 level of $421 million during consideration of the FY 2004 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill. Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to working with you to ensure the continuation of congressional support for these critical programs. Sincerely, Administrators of Internal Medicine Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Ambulatory Pediatric Association American Academy of Family Physicians American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 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 Dental Association American Dental Education Association American Dental Hygienists' Association American Geriatric Society American Pediatric Society American Physical Therapy Association American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools, Inc. NAADAC The Association for Addiction Professionals National AHEC Organization National Association of County and City Health Officials National Association of Social Workers National Hispanic Medical Association National Rural Health Association North American Primary Care Research Group Society for Adolescent Medicine Society for Pediatric Research Society of General Internal Medicine Society of Teachers of Family Medicine University of California