Pediatricians plan April 27 rally to protect children's health care access

On Wednesday, April 27, physician residents at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital plan to "Stand For Kids: Protect Children's Healthcare" in a rally to urge members of Congress to protect vulnerable children's access to health care as a congressional budget bill evolves. The rally is one of more than a dozen "Stand for Kids" rallies on April 26 and 27 by children's hospitals and pediatric teaching institutions across the U.S.

What:

Pediatricians, community leaders, and congressional representatives will unite on behalf of FY 2012 federal funding for the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program and other child health care programs facing cuts. Maintaining funding for these programs is crucial to keeping children healthy.

When:

12:15pm-1:00pm
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Where:

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford
Mary L. Johnson Pediatric Ambulatory Care Center Building (lawn)
730 Welch Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304 (map)

Why:

For more than 10 years, children's teaching hospitals have grown their pediatric teaching programs with federal funding through the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program, but now these and other child health funds are endangered. CHGME is designed to reduce the national shortage of pediatric subspecialists, increase the number of pediatricians in communities, advance pediatric research and provide care for underserved children. With CHGME support, children's teaching hospitals train almost 40 percent of all pediatricians and 43 percent of all pediatric specialists in the U.S. This bipartisan-supported program is now under fire in Washington, with at least a 15% reduction to the program through the end of Fiscal Year 2011. The President's initial Fiscal Year 2012 budget eliminates the program entirely. CHGME needs full reauthorization in order to continue the mission of ensuring that all children have access to care. Additionally, many other critically important child health programs are facing severe budget cuts.

Speakers (all available for interviews):

• Representative Anna G. Eshoo (CA-14th District)
• Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine
• Christopher G. Dawes, president and CEO, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
• Lisa Wise, parent-advocate for pediatricians and the care her child has received
• Pediatricians in support of pediatric teaching programs

Source: Stanford University School of Medicine