HPNEC Letter to Senate Appropriations
Committee on Funding for Title VII and VIII Health Professions
Programs
August
27, 2002
The Honorable Tom Harkin
Chairman
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The undersigned organizations and institutions of the Health
Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) deeply
appreciate your continued commitment and unwavering support
for Public Health Service programs, as most recently evidenced
by the Fiscal Year 2003 appropriations bill for the Departments
of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education reported
by your subcommittee.
We are writing to urge increased funding levels in the bill
for Title VII and VIII health professions training programs
administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The Senate appropriations committee bill provides $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.
This is disappointing given the support expressed in the committee
report that the "Title VII programs are valuable mechanisms
for educating health professionals and for encouraging the
delivery of care to the underserved in rural and underserved
areas." In addition, the Senate budget committee endorsed
the restoration of funding for these programs, citing concern
about "current shortages and the geographic maldistribution
of health professionals in the nation."
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 focus on the nursing shortage,
we remain concerned that additional funding for Title VIII
is required to alleviate the crisis considering these programs
are the major source of federal support for nurse training
and education.
We recognize the fiscal challenges and competing priorities
for funding facing the subcommittee. However, given the administration's
lack of support for these programs and the 302(b) allocation
constraints placed on the House Labor-HHS bill, we believe
that the House may not be able to fully restore funding for
these important programs. Therefore, it is imperative that
the Senate take the lead on fully restoring Title VII health
and strengthening Title VIII nurse education funding professions
in the Senate bill (S. 2766). We believe that this course
of action will ensure the best eventual outcome for Title
VII and VIII health professions training programs in the final
FY 2003 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.
Again, we deeply appreciate your continued support for all
Public Health Service programs and look forward to working
with you to achieve the shared goal of fully restoring the
health professions training programs. Visit the HPNEC Web
site for more information on these programs: <www.aamc.org/advocacy/hpnec>.
Please contact Erica Froyd, HPNEC Coordinator, at <efroyd@aamc.org>
or 202-828-0558, to further discuss the importance of full
funding for these programs.
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 Association of Nurse Anesthetists
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 Geriatrics Society
American Nurses Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Physical Therapy Association
American Pediatric Society
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
American Society for Clinical Pathology
Association of Academic Health Centers
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 Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
National Hispanic Medical Association
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
Tuskegee University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing
and Allied Health
University of Kansas School of Medicine Office of Cultural
Enhancement and Diversity
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Schools of Medicine
and Dentistry
Xavier University of Louisiana, College of Pharmacy
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