Group of Six Leaders Speak to Members of Congress on Workforce, Access to Health Care

In May, APA President-elect Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., participated in the Group of Six Leadership Fly-in. During the event, Group of Six leaders met with House and Senate members to discuss the importance of legislation to improve patient access to health care and to bolster the health care workforce amid a shortage.

Pictured at right in the Dirksen Senate Office Building are the leaders of the Group of Six organizations: (from left) Levounis; Sandy Chung, M.D., president of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Omar Atiq, M.D., president of the American College of Physicians; Tochi Iroku-Malize, M.D., MP.H., M.B.A., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians; and Ernest Gelb, D.O., president of the American Osteopathic Association.

The Group of Six leaders discussed a variety of issues with members of Congress. They supported the passage of legislation to promote access to health care, such as the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (HR 2474). They also emphasized the importance of addressing the physician workforce shortage through legislation such as the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (S 704/HR 1202); the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 (S 462); the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (S 1302/HR 2389); and the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (S 665). ■