BOARD OF GOVERNORS LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Advocacy: individual or team sport?
Whether physicians like it or not, politics play a significant role in healthcare. It is tempting to ignore this fact, but to do so is a disservice to our patients and our profession. Accepting and embracing the situation allows us the opportunity to ensure that the impact of legislative policies on our patients is understood and that the voice of the physician is heard. Go, team, go Though physicians are thought to be independent, in fact we work in teams on a daily basis. Whether we are in the operating room or the office, we work with the anesthesiologists, nurses, techs, medical assistants, and administrative staff to achieve the ultimate goal of high quality, efficient patient care. We could not achieve our goals if we were not working together in a concerted effort. When it comes to advocacy, however, physicians struggle with pulling together, especially when compared to groups such as the trial attorneys or various nonphysician providers. Also, politics is a numbers game, and success is often quantified by who can garner the most signatures, who can raise the most money, or who has the greatest number of supporters. To increase the impact of our specialty’s message, we need clout in the form of numbers. To do this, we need to increase Academy member involvement in our legislative and political programs. Members of Congress are increasingly savvy at deciphering the number of otolaryngologists (constituents) represented by a particular initiative. So, every person who gets involved in AAO-HNS’ respective legislative or political programs ultimately helps us to achieve our goals. This “head count” is very important! Look for ways to participate in legislative and political advocacy, and show Members of Congress that all otolaryngologists are interested in protecting high-quality patient care. No ‘i’ in team Life teaches us that one-to-one interactions make the greatest impressions. By reaching out to a Member of Congress, we have the opportunity to make our message personal. There is also the opportunity to educate. Physicians have the best perspective of the impact governmental policy has on the delivery of healthcare. Our patients may feel the effects, but in most cases, they are not aware of the policies that lead to those outcomes. And though they vote on the policies, most Members of Congress are not intimately aware of the impact those policies have on patients and the practice of medicine. As physicians, we are the bridge between our patients and our legislators, and we owe it to our patients to advocate for their care. Fortunately, through the In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) program, the Academy has staff dedicated to assisting otolaryngologists with arranging individualized interactions. These events can be tailored to each member’s comfort level and range from one-to-one meetings, practice visits, fundraising events, or larger town hall events. There is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in I-GO! So, the answer to the question whether advocacy is an individual or team sport is … YES. By combining efforts on an individual basis that make our message personal with a collective voice to make sure we are heard, we can achieve our advocacy and patient care goals. *Contributions to ENT PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are voluntary, and all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Federal law prohibits ENT PAC from accepting contributions from foreign nationals. By law, if your contributions are made using a personal check or credit card, ENT PAC may use your contribution only to support candidates in federal elections. All corporate contributions to ENT PAC will be used for educational and administrative fees of ENT PAC, and other activities permissible under federal law. Federal law requires ENT PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.
Whether physicians like it or not, politics play a significant role in healthcare. It is tempting to ignore this fact, but to do so is a disservice to our patients and our profession. Accepting and embracing the situation allows us the opportunity to ensure that the impact of legislative policies on our patients is understood and that the voice of the physician is heard.
Go, team, go
Though physicians are thought to be independent, in fact we work in teams on a daily basis. Whether we are in the operating room or the office, we work with the anesthesiologists, nurses, techs, medical assistants, and administrative staff to achieve the ultimate goal of high quality, efficient patient care. We could not achieve our goals if we were not working together in a concerted effort. When it comes to advocacy, however, physicians struggle with pulling together, especially when compared to groups such as the trial attorneys or various nonphysician providers.
Also, politics is a numbers game, and success is often quantified by who can garner the most signatures, who can raise the most money, or who has the greatest number of supporters. To increase the impact of our specialty’s message, we need clout in the form of numbers. To do this, we need to increase Academy member involvement in our legislative and political programs. Members of Congress are increasingly savvy at deciphering the number of otolaryngologists (constituents) represented by a particular initiative. So, every person who gets involved in AAO-HNS’ respective legislative or political programs ultimately helps us to achieve our goals. This “head count” is very important! Look for ways to participate in legislative and political advocacy, and show Members of Congress that all otolaryngologists are interested in protecting high-quality patient care.
No ‘i’ in team
Life teaches us that one-to-one interactions make the greatest impressions. By reaching out to a Member of Congress, we have the opportunity to make our message personal. There is also the opportunity to educate. Physicians have the best perspective of the impact governmental policy has on the delivery of healthcare. Our patients may feel the effects, but in most cases, they are not aware of the policies that lead to those outcomes. And though they vote on the policies, most Members of Congress are not intimately aware of the impact those policies have on patients and the practice of medicine. As physicians, we are the bridge between our patients and our legislators, and we owe it to our patients to advocate for their care.
Fortunately, through the In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) program, the Academy has staff dedicated to assisting otolaryngologists with arranging individualized interactions. These events can be tailored to each member’s comfort level and range from one-to-one meetings, practice visits, fundraising events, or larger town hall events. There is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in I-GO!
So, the answer to the question whether advocacy is an individual or team sport is … YES. By combining efforts on an individual basis that make our message personal with a collective voice to make sure we are heard, we can achieve our advocacy and patient care goals.
*Contributions to ENT PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are voluntary, and all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Federal law prohibits ENT PAC from accepting contributions from foreign nationals. By law, if your contributions are made using a personal check or credit card, ENT PAC may use your contribution only to support candidates in federal elections. All corporate contributions to ENT PAC will be used for educational and administrative fees of ENT PAC, and other activities permissible under federal law. Federal law requires ENT PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.
