Eliot Engel: “I rise today to urge that full funding for Title VII health professions programs be restored in the FY 2006 Labor- HHS…”

“I rise today to urge that full funding for Title VII health professions programs be restored in the FY 2006 Labor- HHS Bill. The elimination of funding for valuable programs such as the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and the Health Education and Training Center (HETC) would have an immediate, damaging impact on medical education, care, and research, especially in the State of New York. Title VII authorizes grants for important programs designed to address problems such as recruitment and retention of providers for health centers, shortages in nursing and allied health, and the under- representation of minorities in the health care professions. These healthcare training programs are the only federal programs designed to increase the supply of primary medical care providers and public health professionals in underserved areas, such as inner cities and rural regions throughout the country. In addition, these programs seek to train more health professionals in fields experiencing shortages, improve the geographic distribution of health care personnel, and enhance minority representation in the pool of practicing health professionals. New York has benefited greatly from Title VII health professions programs. In FY 2005, New York institutions received over $20 million in Title VII programs. However, continual annual budget cuts pose a great risk to health care in the state of New York.…”