[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 531 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 531
Recognizing the contributions of academic medicine and observing
Academic Medicine Week from June 23 through 27, 2025.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 23, 2025
Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the contributions of academic medicine and observing
Academic Medicine Week from June 23 through 27, 2025.
Whereas the week of June 23 through 27, 2025, is designated Academic Medicine
Week to recognize the contributions of academic medicine to medical
research, clinical care, medical education, and community health
nationwide;
Whereas academic medicine, the Nation's academic health systems and teaching
hospitals, medical schools, resident physicians, faculty physicians,
students, and biomedical researchers, serves a vital and unique role in
the United States health care system;
Whereas these providers and institutions, including the Association of American
Medical Colleges (``AAMC'') network of nearly 500 academic health
systems and teaching hospitals and 160 medical schools, focus on four
missions--
(1) educating and training the nation's health care workforce;
(2) conducting groundbreaking medical research;
(3) delivering cutting-edge patient care, including care for the
sickest and most complex patients; and
(4) collaborating with communities to improve the health of communities
everywhere;
Whereas the AAMC leads and serves the United States medical schools, academic
health systems and teaching hospitals, and the millions of individuals
across academic medicine, including more than 210,000 full-time faculty
members, 99,000 medical students, 162,000 resident physicians, and
60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical
sciences;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions drive medical research and innovation, and the
unique partnership between the National Institutes of Health (``NIH'')
and the Nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals, forged just
after World War II, deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of human
health and disease, leading to advancements in treatments, therapies,
and medical technologies that bring hope to patients and families;
Whereas, approximately 60 percent of all NIH extramural research is conducted by
AAMC-member institutions;
Whereas the AAMC continues to project that physician demand will grow faster
than supply (primarily driven by a growing, aging United States
population) leading to a projected total physician shortage of up to
86,000 physicians by 2036, action is needed now to address the physician
shortage;
Whereas every community nationwide relies on medical schools and teaching
hospitals to prepare future physicians and researchers who will serve
all patients, and AAMC-member teaching health systems and hospitals
train over 70 percent of medical residents;
Whereas a key element of addressing the physician shortage and ensuring access
to care for all communities is increasing Medicare support for graduate
medical education, which will help patients receive care when they need
it, particularly in rural and other underserved areas;
Whereas continued support is needed for the pathway programs funded and
administered by Health Resources and Services Administration title VII
health professions and title VIII nursing programs, which invests in K-
16 health outreach and education programs through partnerships between
health professions schools and local community-based organizations to
play an important role in training and supporting a health care
workforce in rural and other underserved areas through scholarships,
mentorship, community-based and interdisciplinary training, and well-
being programs;
Whereas the perspectives of learners have been represented and augmented through
the AAMC on important issues including pathways to careers in medicine,
STEM education, student loans, faculty mentorship, training programs,
and bipartisan approaches to strengthening medical education continues;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions equip medical students with the knowledge,
skills, and behaviors to positively impact patients, students, health
care organizations, and society generally by improving the clinical
learning environment, health care quality, health outcomes, and patient
satisfaction;
Whereas medical schools and academic health systems and teaching hospitals
collaborate to address the physician shortage by increasing the number
of Medicare-supported residency positions and international physicians
who are willing to practice in underserved areas after completing
residency training, and to share expertise, resources, and
responsibility for achieving common goals;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions support the primary care workforce by expanding
training for medical students in states with the highest primary care
workforce shortages;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions and the Department of Veterans Affairs (``VA'')
have forged and maintained a 79-year partnership, built on the shared
missions of education, health care, and medical research, which has
improved the lives of veterans and improved health equity for veterans
by ensuring they have access to advanced health care;
Whereas, through this historic collaboration, the VA has become the largest
single provider of medical training in the country, with approximately
70 percent of all physicians in the United States completing at least
part of their training in VA facilities;
Whereas maintaining predictable and reliable investments in medical research,
physician training, and patient care leads to lifesaving advancements,
stronger patient health outcomes, and improved health of the Nation;
Whereas medical schools and academic health systems and teaching hospitals
contributed more than $728 billion in gross domestic product (``GDP''),
3.2 percent of the United States GDP, in 2019, an economic impact
comparable in size to other important sectors such as transportation,
warehousing, and food services;
Whereas AAMC-member institutions generate approximately $2,218 in economic
impact per person and supported more than 7.1 million jobs in the United
States across multiple industries, which was approximately 4.4 percent
of the 2019 labor force nationwide, and paid an average of more than
$68,000 in wages, salaries, and benefits per job; and
Whereas academic medicine's four mission areas are so deeply interconnected that
inadequate financing or reductions in funding for one mission area limit
the effectiveness of the others: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``Academic Medicine Week'';
(2) affirms the unique and critical impact of academic
medicine on patients and communities nationwide;
(3) recognizes the importance of ensuring strong Federal
support for programs that support academic medicine's
leadership in medical research, cutting-edge patient care,
innovative medical education, and critical community
collaborations; and
(4) encourages the people of the United States to recognize
the critical role of the Nation's medical schools and academic
health systems and teaching hospitals in improving the health
of all.
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