ACP: Governmental Affairs and Public Policy - Health Coalition Urges Senate to Restore Title VII and VIII Funding

Advocacy

Health Coalition Urges Senate to Restore Title VII and VIII Funding

July 7, 2005

Letter sent to all Senators

The Honorable Thad Cochran
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The undersigned organizations write to express grave concern over the elimination of the Title VII health professions programs (with the exception of $12 million for the Centers of Excellence program and $35 million for the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students) in the FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill (H.R. 3010) recently passed by the House. Elimination of Title VII and any cuts to Title VIII will threaten access to health care in our neediest communities by placing further stress on the national shortage of health professionals. We urge you to fully restore funding to the Title VII health professions programs, which received $300 million last year, and to the Title VIII nursing programs, which received $150.7 million in FY 2005.

The proposed elimination of the Title VII programs comes at a time when 20 percent of the U.S. population resides in Health Professions Shortage Areas and our population is growing older and more diverse. Title VII programs train providers with the skills to care for special needs populations and are the only federal programs designed to increase minority representation in the health care workforce. While the House-passed bill provides funding to continue the expansion of the nation’s network of community-based health centers to meet the health care needs of the uninsured and underinsured, it eliminates the funds needed to train the health care workers who staff these clinics.

We understand that there are many competing priorities in the fiscal year 2006 bill; however, elimination of the Title VII health professions programs will halt development of a health care workforce trained to care for our nation’s most vulnerable communities. We urge you to restore funding for the Title VII and VIII health professions and nursing programs to the FY 2005 levels in the FY 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to working with you to ensure the continuation of congressional support for these critical programs.

Sincerely,

Administrators of Internal Medicine
Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
Ambulatory Pediatric Association
American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American College of Physicians
American College of Preventive Medicine
American Dental Association
American Dental Education Association
American Geriatrics Society
American Medical Student Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Pediatric Society
American Physical Therapy Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Psychological Association
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
American Society for Clinical Pathology
Association of Academic Health Centers
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
Association of Departments of Family Medicine
Association of Family Practice Residency Directors
Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools
Association of Professors of Medicine
Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine
Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions
Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Association of University Programs in Health Administration
Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine
Health Professions Network
HIV Medicine Association
Medicine-Pediatrics Program Directors Association
National Area Health Education Center Organization
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Geriatric Education
National Association of Geriatric Education Centers
National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Inc
National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
National Hispanic Medical Association
National League for Nursing
North American Primary Care Research Group
Medicine-Pediatrics Program Directors Association
Society for Adolescent Medicine
Society for Pediatric Research
Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine