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  • Washington Highlights

    AAMC Joins Health Organizations’ FY 2020 Funding Recommendation Letters

    Matthew Shick, Sr. Director, Gov't Relations & Regulatory Affairs

    The AAMC April 8 joined a community letter to Senate and House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee leaders, advocating a fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriation of $400 million for Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME).

    The CHGME program is vital for strengthening the pediatric workforce and increasing access to care for children, with half of all pediatric residents being trained at CHGME-recipient hospitals. The increase to CHGME recommended in the community letter would provide children’s hospitals with the necessary funds to help address workforce shortages among pediatric specialties such as developmental pediatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry, and pediatric genetics and genomics.

    The AAMC also joined the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Health Partners in April 8 and April 12 letters to House and Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee leaders, advocating for increased FY 2020 funding for Indian Health Services (IHS) providers. The AI/AN Health Partners letter recommends:

    • Increased funding for loan repayment and scholarships by $8 to $32 million.

    • Increased funding for staff housing by $30 million.

    • Increased funding for modern medical equipment by $10 million.

    According to a March 2016 Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report, IHS “facility staff stated that a lack of sufficient primary care providers, as well as aging infrastructure and equipment are significant obstacles to ensuring that patients receive timely care.” The AI/AN Health Partners’ recommended funding increase is crucial to improving the infrastructure of IHS facilities, which will help mitigate the health disparities effecting the AI/AN community.