The AHA and other national health care groups sent a letter to members of the House and Senate appropriations committees, urging them to provide $778 million in funding for fiscal year 2026 to support the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program. The program has allowed children’s hospitals to dramatically increase pediatric physician training and the number of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Thousands of general pediatricians and pediatric specialists are trained each year with CHGME funding, including child and adolescent psychiatrists, surgeons, cardiologists, dentists, podiatrists and others.