[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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