[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 65 (Thursday, May 12, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2932-S2933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. 
        Blunt, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Blumenthal, 
        and Mr. Roberts):
  S. 958. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize 
the program of payments to children's hospitals that operate graduate 
medical education programs; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, today Senator Isakson and I are introducing 
the Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2011. Since 
its creation in 1999, this program has provided freestanding children's 
hospitals with funding to support the training of medical residents. 
While most hospitals receive support through the Medicare program, 
freestanding children's hospitals are not eligible for that funding. 
That is why reauthorizing this program is vital.
  Prior to the enactment of CHGME, the number of residents in 
children's hospitals' residency programs had declined over 13 percent. 
The enactment of CHGME has enabled children's hospitals to reverse this 
trend and to increase their training by 35 percent.
  In Pennsylvania, we have three hospitals who participate in this 
important program. This is a critical investment in our country's 
medical future and guarantees that children will have continuing access 
to the care they need across provider settings. Children are not little 
adults. We must continue to ensure we have the specialized workforce to 
care for them.
  Perhaps the benefit of this program is best told in the words of the 
residents themselves. Gabriela Marein-Efron is a resident at the 
Children's

[[Page S2933]]

Hospital of Philadelphia. She shared this story with us.
  ``One of the most powerful experiences I've had during my training 
has been in my primary care continuity clinic. Many of my patients are 
now almost 3 years old, and I've been taking care of them since they 
were newborns. My connection to these families, who are often 
especially vulnerable because of barriers such as poverty or language 
differences has influenced my ultimate career choice. In a few months 
I'll become an Attending Physician at this urban clinic and continue to 
take care of these underserved families and serve as their medical home 
full-time.''
  Chief Resident Dustin Haferbecker had an equally meaningful 
experience. ``My training at CHOP allowed me the unique opportunity to 
discover a need in the community, and ultimately help meet that need. 
During residency, I was exposed to extreme lack of adequate health care 
that was available to the large number of refugees that continue to 
pour into the city, brought here by our government. Our CHGME funded 
curriculum made it possible for myself and a group of residents to 
investigate this problem, identify support from within the institution, 
and establish a clinic dedicated to meeting their unique health care 
needs. A family of three children that have spent their life a refugee 
camp in Nepal, are now being treated for their vitamin D deficiency and 
newly discovered latent tuberculosis.''
  Pamela Puthoor is a resident at the Children's Hospital of 
Pittsburgh. ``I had had almost zero exposure to pediatric specialists 
before coming to Children's,'' she says. ``I knew that Children's 
Hospital offered a rigorous primary care program and the depth and 
breadth of specialty care, so I would be able to make an educated 
choice. I have been able to learn from leaders in their fields, and 
from that I have decided to go into pediatric gastroenterology.'' Dr. 
Puthoor says that Children's also encouraged her to pursue her interest 
in public health policy. ``Children's attracts passionate, altruistic 
people devoted to taking care of kids. The support and encouragement we 
receive is extraordinary,'' she says.
  These residents and the stories they share are a testament of why we 
must continue this program.
  I want to thank Senator Isakson for leading this legislation with me. 
I also want to thank Senators Sherrod Brown, Roy Blunt, John Kerry, 
Scott Brown, Richard Blumenthal and Pat Roberts for signing on as 
original cosponsors. I look forward to working with my colleagues to 
get this legislation passed this year.
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