AAFP testifies to congress in support of family medicine training - Newsletter - American Academy of Family Physicians' Warren Jones testifies - Brief Article

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Board Chair Warren Jones, M.D., Ridgeland, Miss., recently testified before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee to urge Congress to continue supporting training in family medicine. Dr. Jones sought $169 million for the Public Health Service Act, Title VII, Section 747 (the section covering the primary care and dentistry clusters), which would include $96 million for family medicine training in fiscal year 2004. President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal year 2004 includes only $11 million for all Title VII Health Professions Programs and eliminates funding for general training programs, including primary care, interdisciplinary community projects, and training for diversity and public health. To illustrate the need for continued Title VII funding, Dr. Jones cited Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and the University of Mississippi, Jackson, as examples of institutions that used these federal funds to send physicians to practice in rural locations. In response to Dr. Jones' testimony, Rep. Don Sherwood, (R-Pa.) said, "I think we have lost sight of something, and that is that every person needs a family physician. (Patients) go from one specialist to another, and sometimes the whole picture is not looked at." Dr. Jones' written testimony also gave support to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and for rural health initiatives.