Deans from several AAMC-member institutions met with lawmakers — including leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — and congressional staff in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19 to advocate for academic medicine priorities in conjunction with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s (CHCI) 2024 Leadership Conference and Awards Gala. Coordinated by the AAMC, the medical school deans highlighted academic medicine's contributions to patients and communities, while also promoting programs that support a diverse physician workforce and discussing their impact on the Hispanic community. Specifically, the deans urged lawmakers to support $1.51 billion in fiscal year 2025 for the Title VII and Title VIII Health Resources and Services Administration health professions workforce education and training programs. They also requested support for H. Res. 1180, which recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and academic freedom at medical education institutions, and the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (S. 1302/H.R. 2389), bipartisan legislation that would add 14,000 new Medicare-supported graduate medical education positions [refer to Washington Highlights, May 3 and Washington Highlights, March 31].
(Pictured from left to right) Patricia Finn, MD; Charles Vega, MD; Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD (D-Calif.); Olga Rodríguez de Arzola, MD; Maria Soto-Greene, MD
Participants included Olga Rodríguez de Arzola, MD, FAAP, dean of the Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine; Débora Silva MD, FAAP, MEd., interim dean, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine; Patricia Finn, MD, dean, University of New Mexico School of Medicine; Maria Soto-Greene, MD director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence and Executive Vice Dean, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; Charles Vega, MD, associate dean and director, Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community, Family Medicine at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine; and Juan Cendan, MD, dean, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
The deans also attended the CHCI Awards Gala — where the AAMC served as an “Advocate Circle” sponsor — which convened members of Congress, industry leaders, advocates, and stakeholders to celebrate the contributions of the Latino community. President Joe Biden attended the gala as the dinner keynote speaker.