The ACOI supports legislation in Congress that would improve medical training opportunities for osteopathic and allopathic medical students in rural and medically underserved areas. 

The bipartisan Community Training, Education, and Access for Medical Students Act (Community TEAMS Act) has been introduced by Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV) and Ann Kuster (D-NH) and Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA). The legislation (H.R. 7258 and S. 3968) gives the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) the authority to issue grants to expand the availability of community-based training in rural and underserved areas. Entities eligible for grants could include a consortium of one or more osteopathic or allopathic medical schools and a rural health clinic, a federally qualified health center, and/or a health care facility located in a medically underserved community. 

Grants would be available for a period of 1-5 years and applicants. The goal of the legislation is to facilitate long-term sustainable physician practice in high-need rural and medically underserved communities. 

Because roughly 60 percent of U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine are located in a federally designated health professional shortage area, they are well-situated to help address physician workforce shortages, and to help to sustain a physician workforce pipeline for rural and medically underserved areas. 

ACOI is encouraging passage of the bill and funding for grants and encourages ACOI members to lend their voices in support of the bill by contacting their representatives and asking them to cosponsor the Community TEAMS Act. Take action today.