AAMC, hospital groups sue federal
government to stop Medicaid cuts
Last week, a coalition of hospital groups asked a federal court
to prevent the Bush administration from implementing a proposed
Medicaid regulation that would cut $5 billion in funding to safety
net hospitals. The coalition, led by the National Association of
Public Hospitals and Health Systems, the American Hospital Association,
and the AAMC, and supported by the National Association of Children's
Hospitals, claims the administration tried to circumvent the will
of Congress in order to cut the Medicaid program. The lawsuit
maintains that the cuts-issued in a final rule by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services-are beyond the scope of the agency's
regulatory power under current federal law. Hospital leaders say
that if the rule is implemented, some of the medical services all
communities rely on will be jeopardized.
Department of Education to increase
health professions student loan limits
In response to an AAMC-led group letter sent last fall to Secretary
of Education Margaret Spellings, the Department of Education has
agreed to raise the combined aggregate Stafford loan limit for health
professions students from $189,125 to $224,000. Secretary Spellings
sent a letter
to AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., last month, in
which she announced the increase in student loan limits and promised
to provide additional information as soon as possible. This increase
is entirely in unsubsidized Stafford loans and will allow medical
students to borrow at a 6.8 percent interest rate.
HHMI announces new award to support early
career scientists
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has announced a new
grant
program for early career scientists. Through a national competition,
HHMI plans to invest more than $300 million in as many as 70 early
career scientists from various biological and medical science disciplines.
Candidates must hold a tenure or tenure-track position and have
at least two but no more than six years of experience since their
initial appointment as an assistant professor (or equivalent position).
Awardees will receive six-year, non-renewable appointments to HHMI.
Scientists must indicate their intention to submit an application
by April 30. The deadline for completed applications is June 10.
HHMI is planning a second competition in 2011.
New report, Congressional hearing
explore consequences of flat NIH budget
Five consecutive years of flat funding for the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) have deterred promising young researchers and threatened
medical progress, a group of academic research institutions warned
last week. A new report
released by the institutions, "A Broken Pipeline? Flat Funding
of the NIH Puts a Generation of Science at Risk," states that
stagnant NIH funding is taking a toll on the American medical research
enterprise and predicts that the nation will lose a generation of
young researchers to other careers and other countries if the NIH
budget is not increased. The report profiles 12 junior researchers
from institutions across the country who attest to the funding difficulties
they and their professional peers are experiencing.
Corresponding with the release of the report, the U.S. Senate Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing to explore
the negative effects of flat funding for the NIH on the next generation
of medical researchers.
Participants sought for prevention education
institute
The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research is seeking
applications for a professional collaboration, the Institute
for Interprofessional Prevention Education. Up to 20 teams composed
of three faculty members from different health professions within
the same academic health center will be selected to attend the Institute.
Applicants must describe the type of educational and developmental
project they plan to undertake as a post-Institute project. The
Institute will be held Sept. 4-5. The application deadline is April
21.
On the move
William R. Brody, M.D., Ph.D., will retire as president of Johns
Hopkins University on Dec. 31, after serving in the position for
more than 12 years.
Jean E. Robillard, M.D., vice president for medical affairs for
the University of Iowa and dean of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver
College of Medicine, will step down from his role as dean to focus
on his responsibilities as vice president. He would like a new dean
in place by July 1.
