On Feb. 1, the AAMC commended the relaunch of the bipartisan Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus for the 118th Congress. The caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Greg Murphy, MD, (R-N.C.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), “provides a forum for congressional members and staff to engage in a constructive and informative dialogue about the opportunities and challenges surrounding key issues that impact the academic medicine community and the patients they serve.” Although the caucus is not formally affiliated with the AAMC, the two organizations partner to advance the goals of academic medicine. Murphy and Castor issued a Dear Colleague Letter inviting representatives to contact their offices to join the caucus.
AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, issued a statement thanking the lawmakers for relaunching and leading the caucus. “We look forward to working with Reps. Murphy and Castor to grow the bipartisan membership of the caucus and highlight the patient care, health professions training, groundbreaking research, and community collaborations at medical schools and teaching hospitals across the country.”
Since 2009, the caucus has educated members of Congress and their staff about critical issues facing the nation’s teaching hospitals and health systems. In October 2022, the caucus sponsored a virtual congressional briefing, “Confronting the Mental Health Crisis: The Value of a Team-Based Approach,” which featured behavioral health experts from AAMC-member institutions working to advance access to behavioral health services via innovative, team-based care models [refer to Washington Highlights, Oct. 14, 2022].