Teaching Hospitals
Millions of Americans turn to teaching hospitals for specialized surgeries, life-saving care, and complex treatments. They are where medical knowledge continuously evolves and new cures and treatments are found. They are where critical community services, such as trauma and burn centers, always stand ready. They are the training ground for more than 100,000 new physicians and other health professionals each year. Teaching hospitals also are a vital part of America's safety net, providing care to millions of the nation's uninsured.
The AAMC represents the nation's nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems and their associated clinical physicians. Comprising only six percent of all hospitals, AAMC members operate:
- 40 percent of neonatal ICUs
- 62 percent of pediatric ICUs
- 61 percent of all Level 1 regional trauma centers
- 75 percent of all burn care units
These institutions also provide nearly half of all hospital charity care nationwide and a disproportionate share of care to patients who are severely ill or have rare conditions, including:
- 50 percent of the surgical transplant services
- 41 percent of Alzheimer's centers
- 22 percent of all cardiac surgeries
Teaching hospitals are improving health by...
Graduate Medical Education and Health Reform
Graduate Medical Education: The Basics (PDF)
On April 22, 2009, the AAMC partnered with the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to present a Capitol Hill briefing on Medicare support for graduate medical education (GME), particularly in the context of health reform.
As Congress continues its work on health care reform legislation that improves access for all Americans, we must continue to train a health care workforce that meets the needs of all communities. Medicare is a vital component of support for GME, the post-medical school training which prepares doctors for practice in their specialty or sub-specialty.
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