Salazar Urges Speaker Johnson to Prioritize Funding for Physician Training
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) joined fourteen of her colleagues in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urging him to prioritize multi-year funding for teaching health centers across America. These centers and the physicians they train are a critical component of Miami and Florida’s healthcare system.
Last year, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378), legislation that included a reauthorization of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program through Fiscal Year 2030. The THCGME program supports the training of future physicians in community settings, providing greater access to primary care, dental care, and behavioral health services. A multi-year reauthorization will provide adequate resources for future physicians, ensuring these programs have the certainty to continue while still helping those with limited financial resources gain access to critical care.
“As you consider possible legislation for later this session, we urge you to include in any broader legislative package a multi-year reauthorization for the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program,” wrote the legislators. “Teaching health centers are a vital response to the primary care physician shortage, placing doctors in rural and underserved communities where they are needed most.”
The letter has the support of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), the American Association of Teaching Health Centers (AATHC), and the Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC). Rep. Salazar was joined in the letter by Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), David Valadao (R-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Brandon Williams (R-NY), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Dan Meuser (R-PA), and Michael Guest (R-MS).
“We are grateful for Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar's dedication to the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program. Her and her colleagues' advocacy for a long-term extension and increased funding reflects their commitment to resolving the primary care workforce shortage across America. Their support will ensure we can train and retain the next generation of providers to improve the well-being of our nation,” said Joe Dunn, Chief Policy Officer of the National Association of Community Health Centers.
“The American Association of Teaching Health Centers is extremely grateful to Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar for her leadership in coordinating such an important expression of Congressional support for the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program and to her 13 colleagues who also signed this letter to the Speaker of the House. The letter demonstrates that in medically underserved and rural communities across the nation, the residency programs our members operate are making a significant and positive impact by training the next generation of providers, whom history has shown will typically remain in such communities and reduce the physician and dentist shortage. This program has enjoyed sustained bipartisan support and in 2023, both the House and Senate took initial steps to extend it and provide a robust funding increase. As Congresswoman Salazar and her 14 colleagues indicate in the letter, it’s time for Congress to finish its work on the THCGME reauthorization and provide much-needed certainty to the organizations operating these programs across the country,” said Cristine Serrano, Executive Director of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers.
“The Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program not only cultivates skilled healthcare professionals but also reinforces the vital connection between education and community health, ensuring that quality care reaches those who need it most. Representative Salazar's commitment to increasing funding for the THCGME program demonstrates a powerful dedication to enhancing healthcare access and ensuring that future generations of physicians are trained in community-focused environments. Supporting her efforts is essential for strengthening our healthcare system and meeting the needs of underserved populations,” said Jonathan Chapman, President and CEO of the Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC).
Congresswoman Salazar has been a leader in Congress in ensuring community health centers and other important health institutions in Miami have access to adequate funding.
Click here to read the full text of the letter.
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