FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCT 7, 2013
American Medical Student Association Hosts
15th Annual National Primary Care Week
Sterling, VA — Hundreds of health professions students are set to take part in National Primary Care Week (NPCW), an initiative by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) designed to highlight the urgent need for primary care physicians and their critical role in serving underserved communities. This year’s theme, “Step Up to Primary Care,” emphasizes the value of interdisciplinary education and professionalism in primary care, as well as the pressing need for advocacy and health policy reform to address disparities in access and health outcomes related to race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status.
This year, AMSA is teaming up with Primary Care Progress (PCP), a grassroots nonprofit with 30 chapters nationwide, dedicated to expanding the primary care workforce and developing future leaders in the field.
“The primary care physician shortage is on track to worsen with ongoing health care reform,” says Sinthuya Selvendrarajah, NPCW coordinator. “An estimated 31 million additional Americans will gain health insurance under the new legislation. But these efforts to expand coverage will be futile if there aren’t enough primary care providers to care for these patients.”
The number of U.S. medical students choosing primary care careers falls short of what’s needed to meet the demands of the recently enacted legislation. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to bring 32 million more people into the health care system by 2014.
“There has never been a more crucial time for the full primary care team to unite with a strong, collective voice to ensure all Americans have access to high-quality primary care. Trainees are a vital part of that team,” says Dr. Andrew Morris-Singer, president and founder of Primary Care Progress. To support increased recruitment, mentoring, and education opportunities for primary care-focused training programs, PCP is launching The Primary Care Project during NPCW.
“As future physicians, we have a responsibility to ensure our patients receive the best possible care,” says Dr. Nida Degesys, AMSA’s national president. “For over a decade, AMSA’s NPCW has been instrumental in highlighting the importance of primary care in improving the nation’s health.”
NPCW receives partial funding from the AMSA Foundation through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more details, visit: http://voicesforprimarycare.org/.
About Primary Care Progress
Primary Care Progress is a 501 (c)(3) national nonprofit. PCP is a growing network of medical providers, health professional trainees, policy pundits, advocates, and educators. We are a home to everyone under the primary care umbrella- and anyone else-who cares about the future of primary care in this country. Our members are united by a new vision for revitalizing the primary care workforce pipeline through strategic local advocacy that promotes primary care and transforms care delivery and training in academic settings.
About the American Medical Student Association
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at www.amsa.org.