President's Budget cuts $200 million to children's hospitals across the country and $14 million to Children's Hospital Boston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 07, 2006

Yesterday, President Bush released a budget for FY '07 that cut $200 million from a program that was designated to train pediatricians and pediatric specialists, representing a 67% decline from the current funding of $301 million. For Children's Hospital Boston, New England's only freestanding pediatric hospital, this translates to a potential $14 million reduction in funds used to support the country's largest pediatric training program. These funds are vital to training the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists, many of who are already in great shortage throughout this country.

The primary source of funding for Graduate Medical Education (physician training) at adult hospitals is the Medicare Program. Because pediatric hospitals receive almost no funding from the Medicare program, freestanding children's hospitals depend upon federally appropriated funds to support the training of pediatric residents and fellows.

Children's hospitals train 30% of general pediatricians, 50% of pediatric specialists, and the vast majority of pediatric researchers. Physicians trained at Children's Hospital Boston can be found in every part of the country.

"As the single largest pediatric training program in the country, this cut would severely hinder our ability to train the pediatricians and pediatric specialists of the future," says James Mandell, MD, president and CEO of Children's Hospital Boston. "Ultimately, the real victims are the children and families who depend upon knowledgeable, compassionate care."

In past years, the Massachusetts Congressional delegation has joined a bipartisan group nationwide to advocate for this funding. "Senators Kennedy and Kerry, Representative Capuano, and the rest of the delegation have consistently advocated for full funding for pediatric training programs," says Mandell. "We are enormously appreciative of their sustained efforts on our behalf."

For Further Information:
Rachel Pugh or Michelle Davis
Public Affairs
617-355-6420

Children's Hospital Boston is the nation's premier pediatric medical center. Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, today it is a 347-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. More than 100 outpatient specialty clinics are located at Children's. Children's Hospital Boston is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, home to the world's leading pediatric research enterprise, and the largest provider of health care to the children of Massachusetts. For more information about the hospital visit: www.childrenshospital.org.

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