"We believe that a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach is needed to encourage students to pursue career choices in primary care medicine, and to help established primary care physicians stay in practice," noted Joseph W. Stubbs, MD, FACP, president of ACP. "We are highly encouraged that President Obama and members of Congress from both parties have endorsed the need for more primary care physicians, but the question now is whether they will follow through with steps that are big enough to address the crisis starting with payment reforms that will once again make primary care medicine an attractive and viable career choice for young physicians."

As Congress seriously considers health care reform in the coming weeks, the AAFP, ACP and AOA urge the House and Senate to take advantage of the climate of change in Washington and address the issues causing the expensive fragmentation of America's health care system. We remain concerned that the continuation of the current physician training system and the flawed physician payment system is a steep pathway to decreased access to and growing cost of health care for all Americans.

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