AWIR representatives strive to build an advocacy ‘presence on Capitol Hill’
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Representatives from the Association of Women in Rheumatology have logged fruitful time in Washington, D.C., advocating for rheumatologists and their patients, according to a presentation at the organization’s 2020 National Conference.
“It has been a very productive year, even with the current situation we are facing,” Gwenesta B. Melton, MD, a rheumatologist in private practice in North Carolina, said in the panel discussion. Other presenters included Kevin Daley, director of government affairs at Naylor Association Solutions, and Stephanie Ott, MD, a rheumatologist at Fairfield Medical Center in Ohio.
Source: Adobe Stock
Some of the advocacy priorities include telehealth, COVID-19, step therapy, fail first, issues associated with gender disparity in the specialty and workforce shortages.
The pinnacle of AWIR’s year in advocacy occurs during the “day on the Hill,” which began 3 years ago, according to Daley. “One of the goals in mind is to create a presence on Capitol Hill in D.C.,” he said. “It has been successful because of Dr. Melton and Dr. Ott.”
Daley urged all attendees to take time to advocate. “What you do is regulated by state and federal regulations or laws,” he said, and added that advocacy can benefit not just the patients of an individual clinician, but millions of patients around the country who are affected by these laws.
This is why AWIR says it is paramount to actually appear before legislators in person. “Our physical presence in letting people know what is going on with our patients and our ability to take care of our patients is very important,” Melton said. “The ability to go face-to-face means quite a lot with advocacy.”
Policymakers are apt to respond to real-life stories of actual patients in a one-on-one conversation, according to Ott. “Emails and phone calls work,” she said. “But going in person holds some weight.”
For AWIR attendees hoping to engage in some in-person advocacy of their own, Ott stressed that being focused is of the utmost importance. “You only have 15 or 20 minutes,” she said. “Many times, they do not know about arthritis, so we educate them about our patients and our issues.”
At the same time, Ott also said legislators are interested in pursuing policies that benefit as many individuals as possible. “We also let them know that what we are suggesting does not just impact our patients, but those across specialties,” she said.
Should the conversation move off-topic, advocates should also prepare a sheet to leave behind with the policymaker with all of the relevant information written in an easily digestible format.
While advocacy can and does yield results, Melton stressed that results do not happen overnight. She discussed a piece of legislation that began with testimony before the legislative body in North Carolina in 2016 and was signed by the governor just 5 weeks ago.
But the journey does not end there. “Now comes implementation,” she said.
“Once something gets passed, people tend to think it is the finish line. But implementation is just as important.”
While all of these steps can seem daunting, Melton said the advocacy portal on the AWIR website has a host of materials for interested parties to get started. The site contains the names of state and federal legislators and information on bills that are in varying stages of progress through the legislative process around the country, along with pre-written emails and other relevant advocacy forms that can be sent or filled out. For those who are unable to travel to Washington, D.C., all of these steps can push the cause forward. “By the time we arrive on the Hill, they have heard our message,” she said.
AWIR also has an advocacy bootcamp for fellows or young doctors who are more than capable of performing a joint exam or making an accurate diagnosis but are lost when it comes to navigating the complexities of the health care system. “We want all of our fellows to have the opportunity to be trained,” Melton said.
“It is easy to educate yourself,” Ott added.
Collapse
Daley K, Melton GB, Ott S. Advocacy Update. Presented at: AWIR National Conference; August 13-16, 2020; (virtual meeting).
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts