WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 28, 2017) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today voted in favor of legislation to provide for a 3-month extension of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program at current funding levels. She released this statement following passage of the legislation:

“I’m glad we moved forward with a short-term extension of the THCGME program, but we also must advance a long-term solution to provide certainty for our teaching health centers, their residents, and their patients—which is what my bill, the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act would do. Without a sustainable funding level of $157,000 per resident, per year, as recommended in the HRSA funded study published last year, the program will unravel.”

During debate on the legislation, the Congresswoman gave remarks on the House floor on the importance of the THCGME program, but also the need to support long-term reauthorization at sustainable funding levels. In case you missed it, you can watch her full remarks here:

NOTE: The short-term extension was included in H.R. 3823, the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017.

In July, the Congresswoman introduced the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act of 2017  to reauthorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program for three years. This legislation will also allow for the expansion of new programs within existing centers or the creation of entirely new teaching health centers while emphasizing the importance of establishing sustainable funding. The Congresswoman will continue to work to see this bill advanced and provide long-term certainty for the Spokane Teaching Health Clinic, and all those who rely on this important program.

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