U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) added his name as a cosponsor to S-1148, the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act. Sen. Booker becomes the eighth member of the New Jersey congressional delegation to cosponsor this important legislation. 

Amid concerns of a growing physician shortage, U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last year introduced S-1148 to provide for an additional 15,000 Medicare-supported residency “slots” over five years. Half of these slots would be allocated to train residents in specialty physician programs where shortages may exist, with the remainder allocated with priority for hospitals in states with new medical schools, hospitals with programs emphasizing training in community settings and hospitals demonstrating meaningful use. Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Charles Boustany (R-La.) 

In addition to Booker, Sen. Robert Menendez and Reps. Albio Sires, Frank LoBiondo, Bill Pascrell Jr., Donald Payne Jr., Donald Norcross and Leonard Lance have added their names as cosponsors to this legislation. With Booker’s cosponsorship, S-1148 has 13 cosponsors while the House companion lists 124 cosponsors.