Letters

Neurosurgery Asks Congress to Fund Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
    Chair, Committee on Appropriations
    Chair, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
    Washington, DC 20515
  • The Honorable Kay Granger
    Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations
    U.S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515
  • The Honorable Tom Cole
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
    U.S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chair DeLauro, Ranking Member Granger, and Ranking Member Cole:

On behalf of organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents, we write to thank you for the inclusion of first-time funding for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program (PSLRP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and request $30 million in funding for PSLRP in the House FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

The initial funding for PSLRP in FY 2022 is allowing the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to begin the important work of implementing PSLRP after Congress reauthorized this program on a bipartisan basis. The new program will provide loan repayment for pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists, and child mental health professionals who care for children in underserved areas, addressing critical shortages of these highly trained professionals by lessening financial disincentives for pursuing pediatric specialty training. An increased investment in FY 2023 will ensure this much-needed support can reach additional pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists, and child mental health professionals.

Click here to read the full Neurosurgery Asks Congress to Fund Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program.