10/16/2024 Advocacy

AMSNY: FY2025 New York State Budget Boosts Diversity in Medicine Programs

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$4.89M Investment Funds Largest Cohort of Medical Students Receiving Scholarships

Jonathan Teyan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Associated Medical Schools of New York, which represents the state’s medical schools, issued the following statement in response to the New York State FY25 Budget:

“AMSNY is immensely grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for once again demonstrating their strong commitment to addressing healthcare disparities in New York by investing in a diverse physician workforce. The Governor’s $3.644 million investment in AMSNY’s Diversity in Medicine programs will support more than 950 students who are committed to becoming physicians and who have overcome adversity on the path to medical school. The Legislature’s increased funding in AMSNY’s Diversity in Medicine Scholarship, which brings the total investment to $1.25 million, will allow us to support the largest cohort of medical students ever. Reducing the financial barriers for more medical students ensures a larger pipeline of physicians who will practice in underserved communities in New York State. Research has clearly demonstrated that patients treated by doctors from shared backgrounds have better health outcomes, which makes diversifying the state’s physician workforce imperative to improving the overall health of New Yorkers and addressing health disparities. With Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s support, we will continue to make significant strides towards a physician workforce that represents all New Yorkers.”

 The budget also includes:

  • $10M in new funding for the New York Fund for Innovation in Research and Scientific Talent Program (NYFIRST). The NYFIRST medical school grant program provides capital funding to recruit and retain exceptional life science researchers focused on translational research by supporting the establishment or upgrading of the researchers’ laboratories. The funds in this program are matched 2:1 by the medical schools and this investment will help New York continue to be a leader in biomedical research.
  • Full funding restoration for the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) at $3.445M. ECRIP provides Center awards to New York State teaching hospitals in order to make these institutions more competitive for federal funding.
  • $8.5M for the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (NYS SCIRP). NYS SCIRP has supported neurological spinal cord injury scientific research projects from leading New York State researchers to find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
  • Full funding for the Committee on Physicians Health (CPH) at $990K. The Committee on Physicians Health provides non-disciplinary, confidential assistance to physicians, residents, medical students, and physician’s assistants experiencing problems from stress and difficult adjustment, emotional, substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders, including psychiatric problems that may arise as a result of medical illness.