Our 2021 Hill Day participants included 53 members practicing across academia, industry, and public sector Preventive Medicine. Volunteers participated in meetings with congressional offices from more than a dozen states and more than two dozen congressional districts. Our member-driven advocacy efforts of 2021 have helped to prioritize millions of dollars of additional federal funding towards Preventive Medicine Residency support. These results are encouraging and speak to your power to marshal attention and resources to our specialty. This year, we’re asking you to help us carry that momentum forward with a new opportunity to build upon the record-breaking participation of our 2021 Hill Day.
We know the need for stable and sufficient residency funding is significant. In a survey completed by General Preventive Medicine Residency (GPMR) Directors, out of 30 GPMR Director responses, 2 out of 3 reported that funding limitations restricted resident recruitment and 2 out of 3 reported that stipulations of program funding have detracted from resident training experiences. These are powerful data points. More powerful still is your voice, your story, for why we need Preventive Medicine.
With renewed commitments from ACPM members willing to donate a couple of hours of time this spring, we can do our small part to keep our specialty thriving for years to come.