Whether on NIH funding or expanding the health care workforce, faculty members and academic societies can and should have a voice on the national policy issues affecting academic medicine. These resources will help CFAS reps stay engaged and up to date on those issues.
Advocacy Resources:
- The CFAS Advocacy Committee, chaired by Deanna Sasaki-Adams, MD.
- AAMC Advocacy & Policy: The AAMC raises awareness of issues that impact medical schools and teaching hospitals through both long-term and short-term campaigns and coalitions.
- AAMC Letter Opposing Proposed NIH F&A Cuts (PDF): CFAS-member societies were asked to sign onto a letter that the AAMC sent to HHS Secretary Tom Price and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney on the proposed NIH F&A cuts.
- Policy Priorities to Improve the Nation's Health (PDF): The AAMC's transition book for educating the new presidential administration, Congress, and other policy leaders on the issues affecting academic medicine.
- Academic Medicine’s Key Priorities (PDF): Specific ways faculty members can lobby Congress to take action on the AAMC’s four major advocacy issues.
- AAMC Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research: A coalition in support of increased funding for the NIH.
- Testimony and Correspondence: A collection of the AAMC’s comment letters and other public correspondence. The collection includes a number of AAMC sign-on letters signed by CFAS-member societies.
- Washington Highlights: The AAMC's weekly news summary covering legislative and regulatory issues of importance to medical schools and teaching hospitals. Subscribe here.
- AAMC Action: The AAMC’s digital grassroots advocacy community.
- CFAS News: All reps receive the CFAS News newsletter, but you can also view it online or add a colleague to the distribution list.
Each year, CFAS distributes a number of AAMC sign-on opportunities to member societies on the following subjects:
- NIH funding recommendations
- VA research funding recommendations
- The Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition's (HPNEC) funding recommendations for the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) workforce development programs
- GME expansion legislation such as the Opioid Workforce Act
- Funding recommendations for the VA's Medical and Prosthetic Research program
- Immigration legislation or other policy-making that affects the health care workforce
- Other legislation that provides robust, sustained funding for medical research
Individuals should also reach out to their institution's government relations contacts for guidance.