ACPM - American College of Preventive Medicine



Friends of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) c/o American Public Health Association 800 I Street NW Washington DC, 20001 202-777-2514 May 20, 2003 The Honorable Ralph Regula 2306 RHOB Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Regula: The Friends of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is an advocacy coalition of more than 125 organizations, collectively representing millions of public health and health care professionals, academicians, and consumers. Our member organizations strongly support programs that assure Americans’ access to health services, and the elimination of health disparities. The Friends of HRSA estimate that a minimum of $7.5 billion is needed in FY 2004 to adequately fund HRSA. HRSA is responsible for assuring that there is an adequate number of properly trained health care personnel to provide needed services. HRSA programs provide optimal health care for patients with HIV/AIDS and for women who need maternal and children’s health and family planning services. In addition, HRSA programs often serve minority and uninsured populations that lack alternate sources of care. In its commitment to meeting Healthy People 2010 objectives, HRSA’s primary goal is achieving 100 percent access to care and 0 percent health disparities for all Americans. Listed below are some of the major health care initiatives conducted by HRSA: Hospital and Provider Preparedness: Existing programs for emergency services, safety net facilities, and health professions training must be expanded in response to these challenging times. All responders, providers and facilities must be ready to detect and respond to complex disasters, including terrorism. Health Professions programs train and retain physicians, nurses, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, public health personnel, psychologists and other mental health professionals, laboratory scientists, pharmacists, podiatrists, and allied health providers; assure that underserved communities will have the culturally and linguistically competent providers they need; assure a diverse and capable health workforce to respond to the aging "Baby Boom." Primary Care programs include the Community, Migrant, Homeless and School-Based Health Centers. Strong funding supports a shared goal, to double the number of people served at Consolidated Health Centers, to build new Centers in identified shortage areas, and to include essential dental, pharmacy and mental health services in all Centers. Maternal and Child Health: Flexible Maternal and Child Health Block Grants, Healthy Start, and other programs provide services including pre-natal care, newborn screening, school-based health, oral health and mental health care services, and well-child care for millions of women and children not covered through Medicaid or S-CHIP. HIV/AIDS: Ryan White CARE Act programs include grants to states, hardest hit urban areas, and community-based providers to provide health care, early intervention and supportive services to individual and families; the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program; the AIDS Education and Training Centers; and the HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program. The Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative also funds HIV/AIDS programs. Family Planning: (Title X) reproductive health care and other preventive services that improve maternal and child health outcomes, prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the rate of abortions. Title X programs serve millions of low-income women and men at more than 4,600 clinics nationwide. Rural Health programs include Rural Health Outreach and Network Development Grants and Rural Health Research Centers, and other programs designed to stabilize financially troubled rural hospitals and provide additional support in sparsely populated and frontier areas. Coordinated Services for the Uninsured: The Community Access Program grants help communities build partnerships among health care providers to deliver more and better care to their neediest residents. Special Programs include Health Teaching Facilities, the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, and the National Marrow Donor Program. Strong funding would facilitate an increase in organ donations, helping to serve the 80,000-plus patients currently awaiting a donated organ. The undersigned organizations believe that HRSA programs are crucial to the health of millions of Americans, key to maintaining a strong public health infrastructure, and essential in eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health. We are grateful for your support in the past and urge you to support a funding level of $7.5 billion for FY 2004 for HRSA programs. Sincerely, Administrators of Internal Medicine AIDS Action AIDS Foundation of Chicago Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Ambulatory Pediatric Association american Academy of Family Physicians American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Physician Assistants American Association of Colleges of Nursing American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences American College of Nurse Practitioners American College of Nurse-Midwives American College of Ob-Gyns American College of Preventive Medicine American Dental Association American Dental Education Association American Dental Hygienists' Association American Medical Student Association American Occupational Therapy Association American Pediatric Society American Podiatric Medical Association American Psychological Association American Public Health Association American Thoracic Society Association of American Medical Colleges Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs Association of Minority Health Professions Schools Association of Professors of Medicine Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine Association of Public Health Laboratories Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Association of Subspecialty Professors Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine Coalition for American Trauma Care Coalition for Health Funding Human Rights Campaign March of Dimes NARAL Pro-Choice America National AHEC Organization National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors National Assembly on School-Based Health Care National Association of Community Health Centers National Association of County and City Health Officials National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association National Minority AIDS Council Partnership for Prevention Society for Pediatric Research Society for Public Health Education