Colleagues,
I shared the below email with the academic medicine community this afternoon:
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Dear Colleagues,
I write today with profound disappointment about Congress's passage of the reconciliation bill and the devastating impact it will have on the entire academic medicine community and larger health care system. I also am writing to share my deeply felt resolve and commitment to continue supporting you and the patients, families, and communities you serve. The missions of academic medicine matter more than ever, and the work you do is incredibly important in light of these dramatic changes to our nation's health care system.
I'm especially worried about this legislation's impact on the patients, families, communities, learners, and providers you represent and serve. As the AAMC indicated in our statement issued today, such unprecedented cuts that will impact hospitals and health care providers and limitations on federal student loan support, among other provisions, undoubtedly will affect each of your institutions and every community.
Even as it became clear that the bill was on an unchangeable course, we fought hard in collaboration with our member institutions to blunt harmful proposals. The work of so many in this effort has not gone unnoticed, and I thank you for your dedication and collaboration.
I firmly believe that it was due to our collective tireless advocacy that lawmakers rejected cuts to the Medicare program, maintained access to certain Medicaid payment policies, and preserved key elements of federal student loan income-driven repayment plans in the new alternative program the bill establishes.
The work does not stop here. Academic medicine remains a cornerstone of our nation's health care infrastructure. We will continue fighting to ensure every patient has access to the high-quality care your institutions provide. That includes the AAMC's ongoing work with the administration and policymakers toward protecting and restoring critical funding and mitigating the consequences of these damaging cuts across academic medicine. This also means more engagement by top leaders with policymakers to help drive home the impact of these decisions with data and policy solutions. And we are committed to supporting you as your institutions navigate this incredibly challenging landscape and the difficult choices it necessitates.
Thank you for your ongoing collaboration, persistence, and commitment. Your voice has never been more vital, and the AAMC will keep leading our community and pushing forward in this essential fight to protect academic medicine and the patients and communities we serve.
With gratitude and solidarity,
David
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David Skorton
President and CEO
Association of American Medical Colleges
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