mr. chairman , i rise today to urge that full funding for title vii health professions programs be restored in the fy 2006 labor-hhs bill . 
the elimination of funding for valuable programs such as the area health education center ( ahec ) and the health education and training center ( hetc ) would have an immediate , damaging impact on medical education , care , and research , especially in the state of new york . 
title vii authorizes grants for important programs designed to address problems such as recruitment and retention of providers for health centers , shortages in nursing and allied health , and the under-representation of minorities in the health care professions . 
these healthcare training programs are the only federal programs designed to increase the supply of primary medical care providers and public health professionals in underserved areas , such as inner cities and rural regions throughout the country . 
in addition , these programs seek to train more health professionals in fields experiencing shortages , improve the geographic distribution of health care personnel , and enhance minority representation in the pool of practicing health professionals . 
new york has benefited greatly from title vii health professions programs . 
in fy 2005 , new york institutions received over $ 20 million in title vii programs . 
however , continual annual budget cuts pose a great risk to health care in the state of new york . 
without federal funding , the ahec system will be greatly hindered in its ability to address the problems of access to health care , diversity of the health care workforce , and recruitment and retention of health care professionals in medically underserved areas . 
for these reasons i support the restoration of funding for title vii health professions programs through the fy 2006 labor-hhs appropriations bill . 
