AAO-HNS Members Make I-GO Summer Kickoff a Success
With multiple events this summer during the August Congressional recess, the AAO-HNS In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) program had a successful kickoff. As with many new programs, there were a few logistical issues to overcome, including the surprisingly limited number of events hosted by Members of Congress during the August break due to concerns about being “attacked” for their policy positions while attending public events. However, AAO-HNS members met and overcame these challenges. Several members hosted private practice visits for their Members of Congress, providing tours of their facilities, demonstrating the tools of the trade, and introducing them to the hard-working staff that are essential to running a successful practice. Members without private practices coordinated calendars with their representatives and met locally with them at their legislators’ district offices. This provided a more personal and less threatening setting for the legislators to speak with physicians on the front lines of patient care. Regardless of the venue, these visits provided Members of Congress with a firsthand account of AAO-HNS legislative priorities, including the repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate payment formula, truth-in-advertising initiatives, and support for Graduate Medical Education funding. If you are interested in representing the specialty in a home district visit with your local policymakers, visit www.entnet.org/advocacy or contact govtaffairs@entnet.org.
With multiple events this summer during the August Congressional recess, the AAO-HNS In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) program had a successful kickoff. As with many new programs, there were a few logistical issues to overcome, including the surprisingly limited number of events hosted by Members of Congress during the August break due to concerns about being “attacked” for their policy positions while attending public events.
However, AAO-HNS members met and overcame these challenges. Several members hosted private practice visits for their Members of Congress, providing tours of their facilities, demonstrating the tools of the trade, and introducing them to the hard-working staff that are essential to running a successful practice. Members without private practices coordinated calendars with their representatives and met locally with them at their legislators’ district offices. This provided a more personal and less threatening setting for the legislators to speak with physicians on the front lines of patient care.
Regardless of the venue, these visits provided Members of Congress with a firsthand account of AAO-HNS legislative priorities, including the repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate payment formula, truth-in-advertising initiatives, and support for Graduate Medical Education funding.
If you are interested in representing the specialty in a home district visit with your local policymakers, visit www.entnet.org/advocacy or contact govtaffairs@entnet.org.