To meet the needs of American patients, we asked lawmakers to support reinstating the expedited review process for foreign physicians to work in the U.S. under the H-1B visa program. Because rheumatology fellowships are increasingly filled by international medical school graduates (53%), it is imperative the administration reinstate the expedited review process for the H-1B visa program. The suspension of expedited reviews will add to rheumatologist shortages, especially in rural areas and inner cities.
Finally, we asked for increased financial support for rheumatology fellowships. The availability of funding for fellowship training is the major factor limiting the number of rheumatologists trained in the U.S., and many programs rely on private funding to sustain their training programs. Funding for graduate medical education in adult and pediatric rheumatology should be increased.
These are just some of the huge issues ACR/ARHP leadership and staff are working on for providers and patients. For more information on all of the policy issues we are addressing, visit rheumatology.org/Advocacy. To contact your lawmaker in support of these issues, we encourage you to visit the ACR’s Legislative Action Center at rheumatology.org/Advocacy/Legislative-Action-Center.
Finally, these efforts require resources. Visit rheumatology.org/RheumPAC for information on RheumPAC, the College’s political action committee, through which we develop and maintain relationships with elected officials.
