Pediatric Policy Council Update

The APS and SPR are members of the Pediatric Policy Council (PPC) which actively advocates for children and academic pediatrics at the federal level. APS representatives to the PPC are Drs. DeWayne Pursley and Jonathan M. Davis; Drs. Joyce Javier and Shetal Shah represent the SPR.

The PPC also includes representatives from the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) and the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC). The PPC is based in the Washington DC office of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), who supplies staff and other support.

The latest advocacy developments are summarized by the PPC below

PPC Action Alert

Urgent Opportunity for Pediatric Subspecialty Advocacy

We have a unique and time-sensitive advocacy opportunity for you to advocate for funding to address shortages of pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists. We need you to take action as soon as possible.

Our efforts began to pay off last year when the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program was authorized by Congress for five years. Once funded, this program will offer up to $35,000 in loan repayment for up to three years for pediatric subspecialists who treat children in underserved areas.

But the program cannot start until Congress provides funding for it in its annual spending bill. That’s where we need your help.

Two members of the House – Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) and ​Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.), a pediatrician and dermatologist, respectively – are circulating a bipartisan letter and asking all their colleagues in the House to join them in signing it. This letter will be sent to appropriators, the members of Congress who write the spending bills. The letter asks for $50 million in funding for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program. Our goal is to get as many U.S. representatives to sign this letter as possible to show House appropriators the breadth of support for the program.

But the deadline for your representative to sign this letter is April 23 – so we need you to take action now!

Please email or call your U.S. representative as soon as possible and ask them to sign the Schrier/Joyce letter of support for $50 million in funding for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program. A template email and phone script specifically for contacting your U.S. representative is available below.

 

You may also want to check out these new fact sheets and maps from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Board of Pediatrics that further illustrate the impact of subspecialty workforce shortages on children. (Please note that these data reflect only pediatric subspecialties certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and therefore are not inclusive of all pediatric medical subspecialties and pediatric surgical specialties.)

 

We expect a similar funding request letter will be circulating in the Senate later this spring. We will be back in touch at that point to ask for you to reach out to your senators as well.

 

Contact Your Representative Today

Reach out to your U.S. representative today and urge them to sign the Schrier/Joyce letter of support for $50 million in funding for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program. You can reach out to them by phone or email. If you have time, you can call and then follow-up via email to maximize your impact. You can also call your House member’s office again in a week to remind them join the letter if they haven’t already.

By Phone: You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your representative’s office. You also can find your U.S. representative by going to House.gov and using the “Find Your Representative” feature at the top right of the page. The contact information for their Washington, DC, office is available on their websites.

 

Talking points

 

  • My name is {First and last name} from {Town}. I am an academic pediatrician specializing in {insert your area of research expertise e.g., pediatric endocrinology, etc.}, and I am calling today to urge {Representative’s name} to sign Representative Schrier and Representative Joyce’s letter supporting $50 million in funding for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program.
  • Across the country, there are significant shortages of pediatric subspecialists and child and adolescent psychiatrists. These are physicians with special training for taking care of children with special health care or mental health needs.
  • These shortages lead to long travel distances for parents seeking care for their children and long appointment wait times.
  • Many pediatric researchers are trained as subspecialists and dedicate their careers to research on complex health needs like Type 1 diabetes and autism spectrum disorder. Shortages of pediatric subspecialists may also slow the development of the next generation of treatments and cures for young people.
  • The Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program will help increase access to pediatric subspecialists who provide care in underserved and rural areas.
  • I hope {Representative’s name} will consider supporting $50 million in funding for the program and sign Representatives Schrier and Joyce’s letter. The deadline to join is April 23.
  • Thank you for all you do for children.

 

By Email: You can email your representative through their website. You can find your U.S. representative by going to House.gov and using the “Find Your Representative” feature at the top right of the page. Email your representative through the contact form on their website using the template text below.

You can customize this email by adding an additional paragraph with specific information about yourself and your state, such as this:

I am an academic pediatrician specializing in {insert your area of research expertise e.g., infectious diseases, etc.}, which means I am {insert potential practical outcome of research e.g., looking for a cure for Type 1 diabetes}.

Email text:

 

Subject: Strengthen Child Health and Mental Health in Rural and Underserved Areas

As a constituent I am urging you to sign Representative Schrier and Representative Joyce’s letter supporting $50 million in funding for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program in Fiscal Year 2022. This program will help provide children with timely access to health services.

Millions of children reside 1.5 hours or more from needed specialty care. Across the country, there are significant shortages of pediatric subspecialists and child and adolescent psychiatrists, which lead to long travel distances and long appointment wait times.

There is also a disparity in the geographic distribution of pediatric subspecialists, resulting in many children in underserved rural and urban areas not receiving timely health care. Children with complex medical conditions are among the most vulnerable; their ability to see the right doctor in a reasonable amount of time should not be determined by where they live.

Many pediatric researchers are trained as subspecialists and dedicate their careers to research on complex health needs like Type 1 diabetes and autism spectrum disorder. Shortages of pediatric subspecialists may also slow the development of the next generation of treatments and cures for young people.

The Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program will help increase access to pediatric subspecialists who provide care in underserved and rural areas. Once funded, this program will provide $35,000 in loan repayment per year for up to three years in exchange for providing care for an underserved area, helping to address the economic factors that discourage individuals from subspecializing.

As a pediatrician practicing in an academic medical center, my debt burden remains significantly high even after years of practice. I know that there will be significant interest among my colleagues in taking advantage of this important program.

Please consider supporting $50 million in funding for this program and sign the letter being circulated by Representatives Schrier and Joyce. Contact Alicia Bissonnette in Rep. Schrier’s office or Matt Tucker in Rep. Joyce’s office for more information. The deadline to join is April 23.

Thank you for all you do.