government
Legislators seek funding to train more pediatricians
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 23, 2011
Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation that would spend $330 million on the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Payment Program during the next five years.
Funding for the program was left out of President Obama's 2012 federal budget proposal, but bipartisan legislation in both houses of Congress would restore money to the training program. More than 50 hospitals in 30 states have participated in the program. In 2009, it supported the training of 5,361 resident physicians, according to a statement from Reps. Joe Pitts (R, Pa.) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D, N.J.), the co-sponsors of the Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2011.
"The small number of hospitals that receive this funding train approximately 40% of all pediatricians," Pallone said.
Sens. Bob Casey (D, Pa.) and Johnny Isakson (R, Ga.) introduced a similar bill in the upper chamber.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/05/23/gvbf0523.htm.