AAMC Voices Support for Rural Residency Planning and Development Act  

The AAMC joined more than 40 national health care organizations in a March 16 sign-on letter (PDF) supporting the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Act of 2025 (H.R. 6468), bipartisan legislation led by Reps. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), and Troy Carter (D-La.). The legislation would o the codify the RRPD program, which supports the creation and sustainability of residency training programs in rural communities, in statute.  

In the letter, the organizations emphasized that rural areas continue to face persistent physician shortages and highlighted the success of the RRPD program in helping hospitals cover start-up costs, achieve accreditation, recruit faculty, and ultimately train and retain physicians in underserved areas. The signatories urged Congress to support the legislation, noting that expanding rural training opportunities is critical to addressing current workforce shortages and strengthening the nation’s health care system.