The American College of Radiology (ACR) said that it's supporting the Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which aims to expand the number of Medicare-supported medical residency positions by 14,000 over seven years.
The bill was reintroduced in March in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). The ACR, along with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) Coalition, has focused on advocacy efforts related to the legislation, according to the organization.
The college also said that the congressional action aligns with recent ACR advocacy efforts, including responding to a request for information issued by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) regarding healthcare workforce shortages. The ACR collaborated with the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) to emphasize the importance of the legislation and increasing the number of additional Medicare-funded GME residency slots for radiology.
The college said it will continue to monitor and provide updates on the bill's progress.
