LECOM Bradenton Hosts House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Field Hearing

On April 14, 2026, the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health convened at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Bradenton's campus for a field hearing on “Modernized Health Care in Practice: Empowering Americans to Live Healthier Lives.” The hearing examined the urgent need to transition the U.S. healthcare system from a reactive, disease-management model to a proactive, prevention-focused approach. Witnesses, including Mark Kauffman, DO, MS Med. Ed., PA, dean of academic affairs at LECOM Bradenton, highlighted opportunities for integrating nutrition, early screening and advanced technologies into patient care and physician training to combat the rising rates of chronic diseases, and the urgent need for increased investment in training programs that respond to community health needs.

Dr. Kauffman emphasized the opportunity policymakers have to support medical education models like LECOM’s that focus on preventative healthcare and nutrition, reduce costs and expand access and invest in primary care for underserved communities. He also discussed the need for expanding residency programs in rural areas and reducing financial barriers on medical students, noting the significant connection between where students train and where they go on to practice. View AACOM’s summary of the hearing for more information.