Larson Backs Renewal of Program to Help Children's Hospitals Train New Docs

WASHINGTON – Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) joined with a bipartisan majority of the House this week to renew the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program.

The program, passed and signed into law in 1999, provides financial support to children's hospitals that provide graduate level residency programs. The program helps hospitals offset costs of resident stipends, salaries, faculty salaries, overhead and other training-related costs.

"Since its inception CHGME has had a tremendous impact on children's healthcare in this country," Congressman Larson said. "Not only does it provide increased care and attention to our community's most vulnerable, but it helps hospitals continue to train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. I am glad that the House moved forward in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize this important program."

Since the program's inception it has reversed a decline the number of pediatric residents and resulted in an increase by 35 percent.

There are currently 54 pediatric residents training in General Pediatrics at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Last year the Connecticut Children's Medical Center spent over $11 million in training pediatricians, with $3.4 million (or 32 percent) coming in CHGME funding.