Budget business has dominated the Legislative committee calendar for much of February. Of key interest to TAIMS are the Subcomittees of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees, which are currently developing funding recommendations regarding all education agencies and programs, including the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Primary Care Residency, Preceptorship, and Physician Loan Repayment Programs receive critical funding through the THECB. These subcommittees will make recommendations regarding what level of funding to include in the state’s 2008-2009 budget for the THECB, and those programs that are important to Texas’ physician pipeline and the state of primary care. Both the House and Senate clearly understand the importance of GME funding for our residency programs and our state’s physician workforce. TAIMS and its partners in the Primary Care Coalition are educating the committee members and have distributed a one pager that stresses the importance of growing our primary care physician base through increased funding for GME and our key programs. The Senate and House subcommittees will finalize their recommendations within the next week and are scheduled to present their findings to their respective parent committees in early March. Visit The Capitol Checkup for updates on these and other important internal medicine issues.
