Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) introduced the Community Training, Education, and Access for Medical Students (TEAMS) Act. The Community TEAMS Act creates a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant program which would provide community-based training for medical students in rural and medically underserved communities. 

Full bill text is available here.

“Rural communities in New Hampshire and across the country are in desperate need of doctors and health care workers – Congress must do more to incentivize medical students to move to underserved areas after they graduate,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I am proud to help introduce the Community Training, Education, Access for Medical Students (TEAMS) Act to increase the number of medical training sites in our rural communities, prepare doctors for the unique challenges of serving high-need populations, and bring more well-trained physicians to underserved areas.”

“Americans in rural communities deserve the same quality of health care treatment as patients in more populated areas,” said Congresswoman Miller. “The Community TEAMS Act gives medical students the ability to adapt to medical challenges that may arise while serving in rural communities and provides them with opportunities to practice medicine in the rural workforce. By training medical students in underserved areas of our country, we are laying the foundation for better health care in the U.S.”

The Community TEAMS Act is supported by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA):

“AACOM thanks Representatives Miller and Kuster for their leadership in prioritizing medical student training in community-based settings, where more than 80 percent of patient care is delivered,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO. “With 64 percent of colleges of osteopathic medicine requiring clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas, and 43 percent of graduating 2021-2022 osteopathic medical students intending to practice in underserved communities, this bill will have a significant impact on future osteopathic physicians and the patients they’ll serve.”

“The National Rural Health Association thanks Representatives Miller and Kuster for their introduction of the Community TEAMS Act. We know that where medical students rotate and train influences their decision of where they ultimately practice, making exposure to rural community-based settings key to recruiting and retaining a robust physician workforce. We applaud the Representatives for creating new opportunities for medical students to gain valuable rural outpatient experience during their academic careers," said Alan Morgan, NRHA Chief Executive Officer.

Background:

1. The HRSA grant program under the Community TEAMS Act will fund medical school clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas.

2. 75% of medical schools report concerns of having only a few training sites in rural communities across the country.

###