Dear Senators Reed and Cassidy:
On behalf of organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children and
adolescents, we write in support of the Investment in Tomorrow’s Pediatric Health Care Workforce
Act (S. 2443), which would reauthorize the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program.
Support for pediatric subspecialists is a needed step toward curbing today’s demonstrated critical
shortage of pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists, and child and adolescent
psychiatrists to help provide children with timely access to the vital health services they need. We
appreciate your commitment to ensuring a robust and well-trained health care workforce to care
for America’s children.
Currently, there is not only a shortage but also a significant disparity in the geographic distribution
of pediatric subspecialists trained to treat children in need of specialty care, resulting in many
children in underserved areas not receiving timely or appropriate health care. Children and their
families often face long waiting lists to see subspecialists or must travel long distances to find
needed care. According to a recent survey conducted by the Children’s Hospital Association,
appointment wait times for certain pediatric subspecialty care far exceed the prevailing benchmark
of two-weeks in children’s hospitals. The survey showed that the average wait time for a pediatric
genetics specialist is 20.8 weeks, 18.7 weeks for a developmental pediatric specialist, and 12.1
weeks for a pediatric pain management palliative care specialist, citing just a few examples.
Read full letter here
