AACOM Applauds Senate Reintroduction of Community TEAMS Act

AACOM commends Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Angus King (I-ME) for introducing the bipartisan, bicameral Community Training, Education, and Access for Medical Students (TEAMS) Act, S. 3989. The bill is a companion to H.R. 3885, which establishes a new Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant program to increase medical school clinical rotations through partnerships between osteopathic and allopathic medical schools and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other healthcare facilities located in medically underserved communities. The Community TEAMS Act is supported by more than 50 national and state healthcare organizations.

AACOM applauds Senators Curtis and King for their leadership in expanding clinical training opportunities where they are needed most. Medical students who train in underserved communities are nearly three times more likely to remain there to practice. The Community TEAMS Act would strengthen the physician workforce while helping communities address persistent access-to-care challenges.

-AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO

Too many rural communities in Utah and across the country struggle to recruit and retain physicians. Our bipartisan legislation will help train the next generation of doctors while strengthening our rural health systems and improving families’ access to care.

-U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT)

For many people in Maine, especially in rural parts of our state, accessing basic medical care can mean driving hours for an appointment. The Community TEAMS Act will help attract the next generation of health care workers from the ground up and improve access to care for families across Maine. That’s not just smart policy, that’s a people-first approach that will positively impact the health, safety, and economy of our state.

-U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME)

FQHCs and RHCs are community-based facilities that serve more than 31 million patients at more than 14,000 locations. These facilities provide training opportunities for medical students, but 80 percent of physician training still occurs outside of these settings in academic medical centers. The Community TEAMS Act increases access to healthcare, and addresses workforce shortages, as medical students who train in underserved areas are almost three times more likely to practice in underserved communities and four times more likely to practice primary care in those settings.