Newsletters

POSTED: June 17th, 2022
POSTED IN: EM Pulse - The Official Newsletter of MOCEP, May/June 2022,

Written by Amanda Garrity, MS III Kansas City University, Joplin

After an initial exposure to legislative work at the 2022 Advocacy Day in Jefferson City, I was excited to learn more at Leadership & Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. The event was held at the Grand Hyatt hotel, right in the heart of the city and minutes from popular attractions. The Leadership Summit began with several presentations from physicians in the field that were relevant to the advocacy issues that the American College of Emergency Physicians found most pressing. Violence in the Emergency Department, burnout, and scope of practice were some of the topics that were spoken about. After a break for lunch at one of the many restaurants within walking distance, the afternoon kicked off with speeches ranging from Medicare to the Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. There was plenty of time in the evening to explore D.C.’s live music scene and stroll the historic neighborhoods.

The next day, training on effective advocacy strategies commenced, and we were briefed on the issues we would discuss with our individual state legislators. Each group had a different schedule of meetings, either in-person and virtual, depending on the current policies and availabilities of their state lawmakers. Our group consisted of an attending, resident, medical student, and the executive director of MOCEP.

That afternoon, we walked up to Capitol Hill where we were escorted to our congressional visits. It was really special to see inside the buildings where such an important part of the American government operates. Some groups met directly with their senators or representatives, while others met with members of their staff. During each fifteen-minute visit, we discussed our views on upcoming bills and shared personal stories of how these have affected us directly. After answering any initial questions, we left detailed packets and exchanged contact information should any other questions arise.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience advocating for Emergency Physicians around the country and will definitely return in future years.