On June 25, 2026, 38 AAPPR member volunteers brought their expertise where it matters most – directly to Congress. In a series of meetings across House and Senate offices, physician and provider recruitment professionals made the case that workforce policy is patient access policy, and that AAPPR members are the experts policymakers need to know.

AAPPR members are directly involved in ensuring patients can access care by helping health care organizations recruit and retain the physicians and providers their communities need.

The Purpose

Advocacy Day was designed to elevate AAPPR’s voice at the federal level and to position our members as credible, on-the-ground resources for congressional offices navigating some of the most consequential health care workforce decisions in years.

Members didn’t just arrive with policy priorities. They arrived with stories: unfilled positions, recruitment pipelines that work, communities still waiting for the specialists they need. That specificity is what makes AAPPR’s voice distinct.

Across the day, members held 55 congressional meetings – a collective effort that put physician workforce issues in front of a broad cross-section of legislators.

What We Talked About

Conversations were grounded in the real barriers members face every day:

• Conrad 30 Program: A critical visa waiver pathway for international physicians serving underserved communities
• H-1B Visa Fees: A proposed $100K fee increase that threatens the ability to recruit internationally trained physicians
• GME Funding and Slot Distribution: The pipeline that shapes the future physician workforce
• Medicare and Medicaid Policy: Payment and funding changes with direct impacts on access, service lines and retention

What We Want Policymakers to Understand

By the end of each meeting, AAPPR’s goal was for congressional staff to leave knowing four things:

• Recruitment and retention are essential to health care access, not administrative overhead
• Federal policy has direct, operational consequences for hospitals, health systems and patients
• AAPPR members offer district- and state-level insight that broader health care advocacy often misses
• Strengthening physician recruitment pathways support rural health and underserved communities nationwide

What Comes Next

Advocacy Day is the beginning of an ongoing commitment. The relationships built on June 25 will be cultivated over time, and AAPPR will continue to serve as a resource to policymakers as they shape the future of health care delivery.

If you attended – thank you. If you didn’t, stay engaged. Follow AAPPR’s advocacy updates and look for future opportunities to add your voice to the issues that define this profession.

Stay connected with AAPPR’s advocacy efforts at aappr.org/government-affairs/.