March 11, 2019

What You Need to Know

As the federal budget and appropriations season moves full steam ahead, AACOM continues to strongly advocate for its fiscal year (FY) 2020 education and health funding priorities, which are critical to osteopathic medical education (OME). The President’s FY20 budget release is imminent, and we expect proposed deep cuts to non-defense discretionary funding, which would devastate the very education and health programs essential to the future physician workforce. Although the actual spending will be set by Congress, the President's budget will serve as a blueprint for his agenda under the new divided Congress and a roadmap to the budget fights approaching in the coming year.

On another front, the Senate is expected to vote on the President’s national emergency declaration to obtain additional funding for the southern border wall. So far, four Republicans have publicly stated they will join the Democrats in providing the votes needed to rebuke the President. The House already voted last week to reject the national emergency declaration.

Pamela Murphy
Senior Vice President of Government Relations

On The Hill

AACOM Supports the Advancing Medical Resident Training in Community Hospitals Act of 2019

U.S. Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) have introduced H.R. 1358, the Advancing Medical Resident Training in Community Hospitals Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation would provide a technical fix to a dated Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rule, allowing residents who have graduated from newly established medical schools to continue their training in nearby hospitals, ultimately retaining these future physicians to practice in the communities where they train. AACOM endorsed this measure in the last Congress and again supports this important legislation that would help address the growing need for physicians, particularly in rural and/or underserved areas.

AACOM Supports CDC Funding

AACOM joined 224 national organizations in a letter to Senate and House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-HHS-Ed) Appropriations Subcommittee leadership requesting $7.8 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s programs. The CDC serves as the nation’s public health defense system against emerging and reemerging infectious diseases and supports public health and prevention activities at the federal, state, and local levels. It plays a crucial role in funding programs for global health security, health promotion in schools, the prevention of diabetes, cancer, stroke, and prescription drug overdose, and other important prevention programs. AACOM is a member of the CDC Coalition, a nonpartisan coalition of organizations committed to strengthening our nation’s public health infrastructure and prevention programs.

AACOM Sends Letters to Congress in Support of AHRQ

AACOM joined 151 national organizations in letters to House and Senate Labor-HHS-Ed Appropriations Subcommittee leadership requesting $460 million for FY20 for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This agency produces evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and works with its partners to ensure evidence is communicated and understood. AACOM is a member of the Friends of AHRQ, a voluntary coalition of organizations that advocate on behalf of AHRQ to Congress.

AACOM Joins Letter to Congress in Support of NIH

AACOM joined 303 national organizations as a member of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research in a letter to Senate and House Labor-HHS-Ed Appropriations Subcommittee leadership requesting $41.6 billion for FY20 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and urging Congress to support scientific innovation and progress in medical research.

Advocacy

AACOM GR Provides Policy and Advocacy Updates to Osteopathic Community

Pictured left: Craig Boisvert, DO, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean, WVSOM; Pamela Murphy, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, AACOM; James W. Nemitz, PhD, President, WVSOM; Mary-Lynn Bender, Senior Director of Government & Public Relations, AACOM; and Edward Bridges, PhD, Vice President for Administration & External Relations, WVSOM. Pictured right: Ms. Murphy addressing spring 2019 OBI inductees.

AACOM’s Office of Government Relations (GR) staff recently visited several colleges of osteopathic medicine across the nation to speak to osteopathic medical educators and students about current federal policy priorities impacting OME and highlight advocacy and engagement opportunities. On February 26, Pamela Murphy, MSW, AACOM’s Senior Vice President of GR, and Mary-Lynn Bender, AACOM’s Senior Director of Government and Public Relations, visited the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), following which Ms. Murphy addressed the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine-California on March 7, and will be visiting the Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific on March 12.

Ms. Murphy also inspired osteopathic medical student advocates to stay civically engaged by providing a policy and advocacy update to the Student Osteopathic Medical Association and delivering a keynote address on the importance of making advocacy a lifetime commitment during Omega Beta Iota (OBI): National Osteopathic Political Honor Society’s induction ceremony on March 4.

In addition, Ms. Murphy participated in a panel discussion about the importance of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program during the American Osteopathic Association’s DO Day on Capitol Hill, helping advocates prepare for meetings with their lawmakers about why sustainably funding this program is so crucial. AACOM is grateful for the many opportunities to connect with the OME advocate community and looks forward to further engaging the profession.

AACOM's COSGP Prioritizes Wellness

On February 20, osteopathic medical students across the country joined together to celebrate OMS Day of Wellness, an event organized by AACOM’s Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents’ (COSGP) Mental Health Awareness Task Force (MHATF). Learn how osteopathic medical students and schools recognized the mental health challenges medical students face and why grassroots advocates should also make wellness a priority in second-year Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University and COSGP MHATF member Katie Hockensmith’s ED to MED guest blog post.

Administration and Federal Agencies

NIH’s Efforts to Address Sexual Harassment in Science

The NIH is working to increase its efforts with NIH-funded academic and medical organizations on addressing sexual harassment in science. In light of the recent #MeToo movement, and specifically the #MeTooSTEM movement, the NIH issued a statement about its efforts to address and improve the way that sexual harassment is reported, investigated, and addressed.

NIH has recently developed various resources that outline its policies, practices, and initiatives for NIH, research institutions it supports, and other areas where NIH-funded activities take place. Some of these initiatives include NIH’s anti-sexual harassment website, the creation of the Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director on Changing the Culture to End Sexual Harassment, and efforts to strengthen the systems put in place by the NIH Anti-Sexual Harassment Steering Committee.

A working group, established by NIH Director Francis Collins, will report interim recommendations in June and provide a final report and recommendations in December.

AACOM will continue to keep our membership informed as the new policies and procedures evolve.

Featured Federal Resources and COM Engagement

Expanded CMS Opioid Prescribing Mapping Tool Introduces Medicaid, Rural Data: CMS recently unveiled a new update to their Opioid Prescribing Mapping Tool, including data on opioids prescribed in the Medicaid program. The map now allows geographic comparisons across regions of opioid prescription rates in Medicare Part D. The expanded version of the mapping tool aligns with the agency’s commitment to inform prevention and treatment options through the use of data. Learn more about the mapping tool.

OHRP Announces Free Workshop: Privacy and Health Research in a Data-Driven World: The Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) has announced details for the 2019 installment of its Exploratory Workshop Initiative. OHRP’s workshops are designed to offer the research community an opportunity to engage in intellectual exchange around a topic of interest affected by federal regulations on human subjects protection. Speaking engagements are geared toward developing pragmatic solutions through constructive dialogue. Find out more about the 2019 workshop or revisit the 2018 workshop.

Omega Beta Iota Inducts New Members:

The OBI National Osteopathic Political Honor Society inducted 22 new members from 11 colleges of osteopathic medicine during its spring induction ceremony on March 4 in Washington, DC. Multiple students were inducted from the following schools: the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (two inductees), WVSOM (two inductees), the Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (three inductees), and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Virginia Campus (four inductees). Christine DeCarlo, AACOM’s Advocacy and Public Affairs Manager, was inducted as an honorary member this spring. OBI is one of 18 national organizations that have endorsed ED to MED’s campaign principles. For a comprehensive list of all spring 2019 inductees, continue reading.

ATSU-SOMA and U.S. Army Team Up to Teach Students Life-Saving Skills: Students and faculty at A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona were recently coached on how to treat life-threatening bleeding victims prior to the arrival of first responders. The training was led by Major Michael Hay of the U.S. Army’s 6th Medical Recruiting Battalion as part of the Stop the Bleed campaign, a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American College of Surgeons. Learn more about the training.

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