The AAMC sponsored a congressional briefing, “Rural Health Transformation: Translating Policy into Practice,” Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The event, presented by the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), provided an overview of the newly established Rural Health Transformation Program, highlighting how states plan to leverage these funds to ensure access to care in rural and underserved communities [refer to Washington Highlights, Jan. 9]. Moderated by NHHF President Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, the briefing featured rural health experts, including Len Marquez, AAMC senior director of government relations and legislative advocacy, Carrie Cochran-McClain, DrPH, MPA, chief policy officer for the National Rural Health Association, and Luis Padilla, MD, chief health officer for the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Pictured from left to right: Luis Padilla, MD, NACHC Chief Health Officer; Carrie Cochran-McClain, DrPH, MPA, NHRA Chief Policy Officer; Len Marquez, AAMC Senior Director for Government Relations and Legislative Advocacy; and Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, NHHF President in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 26, 2026.
In his remarks, Marquez described the current and projected physician shortage across both primary care and specialty disciplines, emphasizing that these shortages are expected to disproportionately impact rural and medically underserved communities. He further highlighted how states plan to use RHTP funding to strengthen the rural-serving health care workforce, while emphasizing that additional investments in Medicare-supported graduate medical education and other workforce programs are necessary to ensure access to care for rural populations.