HPNEC: Correspondence - August 29, 2002 Letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee



Home Members Working Group Testimony Correspondence Events Photo Galleries Funding by State	Correspondence Letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee August 29, 2002 The Honorable Ralph Regula Chairman Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations 2358 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 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 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 training 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 and nursing education 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. Recently, the Senate appropriations committee provided just $160 million for Title VII health professions training. Although this is $149 million more than the amount requested in the President's budget, it is still $135 million less than the FY 2002 level. A funding cut of this magnitude would cripple the Title VII programs, which already are straining under current funding levels to meet the demand for well-trained, quality health professionals. Title VII programs provide essential support in addressing the growing shortages of pediatric dentists, pharmacists, medical laboratory personnel, allied health and public health professionals in areas throughout the country where vacancy rates of some professions have climbed as high as 40 percent. Also, while we are grateful for the Senate committee action on the Title VIII programs, we remain concerned that additional funding for Title VIII is required to alleviate the nursing shortage crisis considering these programs are the major source of federal support for nurse training and education. 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, reports state that the graduates of these programs are 3 to 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, 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 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 Occupational Therapy Association American Pediatric Society American Physical Therapy 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 Teachers of Preventive Medicine Association of University Programs in Health Administration 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 Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Organization National Association of Geriatric Education Centers National Hispanic Medical Association National Rural Health Association North American Primary Care Research Group Recruitment, Admissions and Retention Program, Temple University School of Medicine Society for Pediatric Research Society of General Internal Medicine Society of Teachers of Family Medicine