A bipartisan group of senators recently reintroduced the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 1302), AHA-supported legislation that would increase by 14,000 the number of Medicare-funded residency positions to help alleviate physician shortages that threaten patients’ access to care.     
     
The bill would add 2,000 positions per year for seven years, targeting a portion of these positions to: hospitals already training over their caps; hospitals in rural areas; hospitals in states with new medical schools or branch campuses; and hospitals serving areas designated as health professional shortage areas.     
     
“Your legislation responsibly addresses the nation’s urgent need for additional physicians,” AHA said in a letter to the bill’s sponsors, Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., John Boozman, R-Ark., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Susan Collins, R-Maine. “We applaud you as well for directing the Government Accountability Office to recommend to Congress strategies for increasing the diversity of the health professional workforce.”     
     
Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., reintroduced the bill in the House last month.  

Related News Articles

Headline
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, National Security Agency, FBI and international agencies Aug. 13…
Headline
The Trump administration Aug. 13 issued an executive order revoking a 2021 order by the previous administration that established a “whole-of-government” effort…
Headline
The AHA will host a webinar Aug. 13 from 1-2 p.m. ET that will explore strategies and proven de-escalation techniques unique to addressing workplace violence…
Headline
Nell Buhlman, chief administrative officer and head of strategy at Press Ganey, and Chris DeRienzo, M.D., AHA chief physician executive, explore the data-…
Headline
The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,…
Headline
The AHA’s Next Generation Leaders Fellowship July 29 announced its 36 fellows for the class of 2026, who will each work with mentors to address a specific…