AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Public Policy Officer Karen Fisher, JD, issued the following statement upon renewal of the charter for the Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus by Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.):
“The AAMC thanks Reps. Castor and McKinley for re-launching the bipartisan Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus and serving as its co-chairs. The caucus is dedicated to recognizing the important role that medical schools, teaching hospitals, and their faculty physicians play to improve the health of people everywhere and to help our nation address public health challenges and crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, academic medicine defined the frontlines—conducting the research that furthered vaccines and treatments and providing care for patients.
This caucus provides a forum for congressional members and staff to engage in a constructive and educational dialogue about the opportunities and challenges surrounding key issues that impact the academic medicine community and the patients they serve—including the health care workforce, medical research, health care delivery, health equity, education, and more. Additionally, as noted in a letter from the co-chairs urging congressional colleagues to join, academic medical centers are critical community partners in building partnerships, cultivating trust, and serving as vital economic engines at the state and local levels.
We look forward to working with Reps. Castor and McKinley, and all members of the caucus, to continue to improve the health of all through support for the patient care, physician training, groundbreaking research, and community collaborations happening every day at medical schools and teaching hospitals across the country.”