It may be the times. It may be because of our expanded electronic media, or it may be politics. Whatever the cause, I’m sure you agree that while being a physician still primarily is about the one-on-one relationship between doctor and patient, it also is about reminding the rest of the country what medical care really is and should be.
As AMA members, we have a particular responsibility to help educate the people who write and pass laws that affect everything from how we interact with our patients to the records we keep to how we are paid.
That’s why I am looking forward to the AMA National Advocacy Conference coming up March 4-6 in Washington, D.C. It’s a chance to hear from national political experts, and it’s also an opportunity to let our members of Congress know how they’re doing.
Bob Woodward, the preeminent investigative reporter, author and associate editor of The Washington Post, will be a featured speaker this year. We also will hear a point-counterpoint debate from two former White House press secretaries: Bob Gibbs, who worked under President Obama, and George W. Bush’s former press secretary Dana Perino, who now is a co-host of Fox’s The Five.
In addition, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the Senate minority whip, will give his perspective on legislative items relevant to the AMA and the political landscape in 2014. He will be AMPAC’s special guest speaker at the Capitol Club Platinum and Gold breakfast March 6. (Visit the AMPAC booth for more information and to pick up your event tickets.)
One of the most important parts of the conference won’t take place in the conference ballroom but on Capitol Hill. Wednesday and Thursday afternoons we’ll have a chance to sit down face-to-face with our own members of Congress.
This year the visits will be particularly important. They will give us the opportunity to talk with our members of Congress about pending legislation that, if passed, will finally repeal the flawed SGR formula and begin to reform Medicare physician payment.
We also can educate our lawmakers about the need for increased funding for graduate medical education, the importance of physician-led team-based care, issues with rollout of the ACA and the disruptive toll of ICD-10 implementation and other regulatory burdens. As physicians, we can provide authoritative insight into how these issues are affecting our practices and our patients.
Beyond the plenary sessions and those all-important afternoons on the Hill, the National Advocacy Conference is a great opportunity to spend time with physician colleagues from around the country. It’s a place to compare notes with one another. The 25th annual Dr. Nathan Davis Awards dinner March 5 presents us with an opportunity to honor government employees and elected officials who have made a significant difference in advancing public health.
Well-known and longtime Washington newsman Bob Schieffer will be hosting the Nathan Davis Awards dinner for the second time. Schieffer is chief Washington correspondent for CBS news and moderator for Sunday morning’s Face the Nation. I am delighted that he will be back with us again this year.
Don’t miss the National Advocacy Conference March 4-6: If you haven’t done so already, register today. I guarantee it will be an educational, interesting and very worthwhile three days. I am looking forward to seeing you in Washington!
