[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1289 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1289
Recognizing the contributions of academic medicine and observing
Academic Medicine Week from June 10 through 14, 2024.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2024
Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the contributions of academic medicine and observing
Academic Medicine Week from June 10 through 14, 2024.
Whereas the week of June 10 through 14, 2024, is designated Academic Medicine
Week to honor the contributions of academic medicine to medical
research, clinical care, medical education, and community health
nationwide;
Whereas academic medicine, the Nation's academic health systems and teaching
hospitals, medical schools, resident physicians, faculty physicians,
students, and researchers, serves a vital and unique role in the United
States health care system;
Whereas these providers and institutions, including the Association of American
Medical Colleges (``AAMC'') network of approximately 400 academic health
systems and teaching hospitals and 158 medical schools, focus on four
missions--
(1) educating and training the Nation's health care workforce;
(2) conducting groundbreaking medical research;
(3) delivering cutting-edge patient care, including care for the
sickest and most complex patients; and
(4) collaborating with communities to improve the health of communities
everywhere;
Whereas the AAMC leads and serves the United States medical schools, academic
health systems and teaching hospitals, and the millions of individuals
across academic medicine, including more than 193,000 full-time faculty
members, 96,000 medical students, 153,000 resident physicians, and
60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical
sciences;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions drive medical research and innovation, and the
unique partnership between the National Institutes of Health (``NIH'')
and the Nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals, forged just
after World War II, deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of human
health and disease, leading to advancements in treatments, therapies,
and medical technologies that bring hope to patients and families;
Whereas, approximately 60 percent of all NIH extramural research is conducted by
AAMC-member institutions;
Whereas the AAMC continues to project that physician demand will grow faster
than supply (primarily driven by a growing, aging United States
population) leading to a projected total physician shortage of up to
86,000 physicians by 2036, action is needed now to address the physician
shortage and additionally, AAMC-member teaching health systems and
hospitals train over 70 percent of medical residents;
Whereas the AAMC believes that diversity in medical education and training is an
important component to helping ensure that all physicians are prepared
to serve the Nation regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic
status, or where they live;
Whereas progress has been made in growing the number of medical schools and
thus, the number of medical graduates since the academic year 2002-2003,
total medical school enrollment has grown by more than 38 percent as
medical schools have expanded class sizes and more than 32 new medical
schools have opened, more remains to be done to increase the reach of
medical education, especially in rural and underserved areas;
Whereas a key element of addressing the physician shortage and diversifying the
workforce is increasing Medicare support for graduate medical education,
which will help boost access to high-quality care, particularly for
rural and other underserved populations;
Whereas continued support is needed for the Health Resources and Services
Administration title VII health professions and title VIII nursing
programs, which play an important role in connecting students to health
careers by enhancing recruitment, education, training, and mentorship
opportunities;
Whereas the perspectives of learners have been represented and augmented through
the AAMC on important issues including the K-12 pathway to careers in
medicine, STEM education, student loans, and faculty mentorship, and
bipartisan approaches to strengthening medical education continues;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions equip medical students with the knowledge,
skills, behaviors, and attitudes that promote diversity, equity, and
inclusion to positively impact patients, students, health care
organizations, and society generally by improving the clinical learning
environment, health care quality, health outcomes, and patient
satisfaction;
Whereas medical schools and academic health systems teaching and hospitals
collaborate and share expertise, resources, and responsibility within
their communities for achieving shared goals;
Whereas through interactions built on trust, mutual respect, cultural humility,
and mutual benefit, medical schools and teaching hospitals work with
communities on activities that include community-based service learning,
community-engaged research, and community-driven health services
delivery;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions and the Department of Veterans Affairs (``VA'')
have forged and maintained a 78-year partnership, built on the shared
missions of education, health care, and medical research, which has
improved the lives of veterans and improved health equity for veterans
by ensuring ensured they have access to advanced health care;
Whereas through this historic collaboration, the VA has become the largest
single provider of medical training in the country, with approximately
70 percent of all physicians in the United States completing at least
part of their training in VA facilities;
Whereas medical schools and academic health systems and teaching hospitals
contributed more than $728 billion in gross domestic product (``GDP''),
3.2 percent of the United States GDP, in 2019, an economic impact
comparable in size to other important sectors such as transportation,
warehousing, and accommodation and food services;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions generate approximately $2,218 in economic
impact per person and supported more than 7.1 million jobs in the United
States across multiple industries, which was approximately 4.4 percent
of the 2019 labor force nationwide, and paid an average of more than
$68,000 in wages, salaries, and benefits per job;
Whereas academic medicine's four mission areas are so deeply interconnected that
inadequate financing or reductions in support for one mission area limit
the effectiveness of the others;
Whereas cutting funding to academic medicine inhibits support for the education,
research, and community collaboration missions; and
Whereas cutting funding for medical research leads to fewer lifesaving
advancements, which results in poorer patient health outcomes and by
maintaining predictable and reliable investments in medical research,
physician training, and patient care, it improves the health of the
Nation: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``Academic Medicine Week'';
(2) affirms the unique and critical impact of academic
medicine on patients and communities nationwide;
(3) recognizes the importance of ensuring strong Federal
support for programs that support academic medicine's
leadership in medical research, cutting-edge patient care,
innovative medical education, and critical community
collaborations; and
(4) encourages the people of the United States to recognize
the critical role of the Nation's medical schools and academic
health systems and teaching hospitals in improving the health
of all.
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