AAMC Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, participated in a Dec. 6 roundtable on the health care workforce that was hosted by the New Democrat Coalition. The New Democrat Coalition is a group of nearly 100 Democrats focused on innovative policies. Congressional participants in the roundtable included Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.), Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). Other panelists included representatives from the American Medical Association, the National Black Nurses Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Nurses Association, and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Members of the New Democrat Caucus in attendance focused their remarks and questions largely on what policies needed to be implemented to increase the size of the health care workforce, as well as maintain the existing workforce. Turnipseed and other panelists highlighted the need to pass the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (H.R. 2389/S. 1302) to alleviate the physician shortage by increasing the number of Medicare-supported graduate medical education positions and expanding physician training. Panelists also discussed other key issues including telehealth, the nursing workforce, and the need to increase physician payments.