Statement attributable to:
Mary E. Frank, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
AAFP Statement: Ending Federal Support for Family Medicine Training is a Bad Idea
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Contact:
Leslie Champlin
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237, Ext. 5224
lchampli@aafp.org
“Family physicians are deeply disappointed that the White House’s proposed 2006 federal budget would strip all funding from an essential family medicine training program. We recognize that our country faces a difficult budget situation. However, eliminating support for Title VII funding used to educate family physicians would be the proverbial cutting off of the nose to spite the face.
“At the same time President Bush proposes ending this program by eliminating its budget, he calls for increased funding to build more community health centers. Who provides medical care in these new centers? Family physicians. In fact, more than half of the physicians who care for patients in community health centers are family doctors. They are the only medical specialists qualified to treat most ailments and provide comprehensive health care for people of all ages - from newborns to seniors. Cutting necessary funding to train new family physicians would pull the plug on a critical life support system for the medical care provided in community health centers.
“Section 747 of Title VII of the Public Health Services Act, called the Health Professions Education Partnership Act, provides funding to help train the family physicians who are so vital to community health center patients. Research from The Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care in Washington, D.C, demonstrates that family doctors are most likely to care for underserved rural and urban populations. Students attending schools that receive Section 747 family medicine funds are more likely to go into family medicine or primary care, practice in a rural area, or practice in an area that has a shortage of physicians.
“Fewer than 10 percent of today’s U.S. medical school graduates specialize in family medicine. Additionally, 50 percent fewer medical school graduates are now going into family medicine than in 1997. Loss of Section 747 funding could mean smaller residency programs, fewer faculty members, fewer family physicians and potentially, no residency programs at all. That spells trouble for those who rely on family physicians, especially the millions of Americans who rely on community health centers for their health care.
“The Senate committee report on the appropriations for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments for 2005, recognized the importance of Sec. 747 in increasing the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas. We urge Congress to cut wisely when working on the budget, because cutting family medicine training is not the kind of budget surgery that will lead to better health.”
“At the same time President Bush proposes ending this program by eliminating its budget, he calls for increased funding to build more community health centers. Who provides medical care in these new centers? Family physicians. In fact, more than half of the physicians who care for patients in community health centers are family doctors. They are the only medical specialists qualified to treat most ailments and provide comprehensive health care for people of all ages - from newborns to seniors. Cutting necessary funding to train new family physicians would pull the plug on a critical life support system for the medical care provided in community health centers.
“Section 747 of Title VII of the Public Health Services Act, called the Health Professions Education Partnership Act, provides funding to help train the family physicians who are so vital to community health center patients. Research from The Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care in Washington, D.C, demonstrates that family doctors are most likely to care for underserved rural and urban populations. Students attending schools that receive Section 747 family medicine funds are more likely to go into family medicine or primary care, practice in a rural area, or practice in an area that has a shortage of physicians.
“Fewer than 10 percent of today’s U.S. medical school graduates specialize in family medicine. Additionally, 50 percent fewer medical school graduates are now going into family medicine than in 1997. Loss of Section 747 funding could mean smaller residency programs, fewer faculty members, fewer family physicians and potentially, no residency programs at all. That spells trouble for those who rely on family physicians, especially the millions of Americans who rely on community health centers for their health care.
“The Senate committee report on the appropriations for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments for 2005, recognized the importance of Sec. 747 in increasing the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas. We urge Congress to cut wisely when working on the budget, because cutting family medicine training is not the kind of budget surgery that will lead to better health.”
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Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 110,600 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.
Approximately one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 240 million office visits each year — nearly 87 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.
To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s award-winning consumer website, www.FamilyDoctor.org.
