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A Message from Shari Erickson, ACP Chief Advocacy Officer and Senior Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Public Policy and Shuan Tomlinson, Senior Analyst for State Health Policy and Grassroots Advocacy

Published: April 11, 2023

Welcome to Leadership Day 2023, the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) annual two-day advocacy event held in Washington, D.C. that enables ACP to increase its presence on Capitol Hill and strengthen the voice of the internal medicine community in discussing  issues of interest and concern with  U.S. lawmakers. We have an exciting program and experience in store for you including educational briefings from ACP staff on the key policies you will be discussing with lawmakers as well as advocacy tips on how to present ACP’s Leadership Day issues to your members of Congress, an awards program, and briefings from lawmakers. The second day of the event is dedicated to meetings with your lawmakers. See agenda details here and some FAQs regarding event logistics. The event will be held at the Salamander Hotel, formerly the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, in Washington, DC, which is a short metro or taxi ride to Congressional offices.

ACP National will schedule ALL congressional meetings for attendees and chapters. Although the vast majority of congressional offices are taking in-person meetings, there are a still a few (approx. two precent) that are still only conducting virtual meetings. As a result, some attendees may have a mix of both in-person and virtual meetings. Our scheduler will make every effort to choregraph meeting schedules so attendees can adequately adjust to needing to be physically on Capitol Hill for a meeting and if they also need time to get to a quiet location elsewhere to take a meeting virtually. For all virtual meetings, ACP will provide a link and call-in information and will ensure that space is available, either at the Salamander Hotel or in ACP’s office building, both of which are in close proximity to congressional offices.

ACP’s Advocacy Agenda/Expectations

This year’s Leadership Day is taking place at a critical time for physicians and the broader health care community. The start of the 118th Congress has ushered in a new Republican majority in the House of Representatives and more than 80 newly elected members of the House and Senate. With a new Congress and a change in leadership, there are opportunities and challenges. Perhaps most importantly, there is an urgent need to build and strengthen relationships with lawmakers and their staff, educate them about the role of internal medicine in the U.S. health care system, and ask for their support for legislation that will help physicians care for their patients.

Key Priority Issues for Leadership Day

This year Leadership Day priorities will focus on advocating for legislation to reduce administrative burden on physicians, support physician payment, strengthen the physician workforce and reduce the burden of student debt, and improve health equity for patients.

The Role of Chapters and ACP Members

The involvement of our chapters and our ACP advocates is vital to the effectiveness of our advocacy efforts, and that includes your participation in Leadership Day. This event is our most critical advocacy event of the year, providing you the opportunity to learn about and advocate for legislation that directly impacts internal medicine physicians and their patients, have valuable meetings with lawmakers, and most importantly provide your real-world perspective as a physician on how policies being contemplated by Congress impact your patients. Your voice and your involvement, as constituents, in the legislative process can make all the difference in your lawmakers’ decision whether to support or oppose a given policy proposal. As always, we appreciate the time that you take away from your practice, your patients, and your family to be here in Washington advocating with us for the greater good.

For other information or questions about Leadership Day, please contact Shuan Tomlinson, Senior Analyst, State Health Policy & Grassroots at 1-800-338-2746, Ext. 4547 or by email at stomlinson@acponline.org.

Chapter participation in Leadership Day and the Advocates for Internal Medicine Network (AIMn) program are the bedrocks of ACP’s advocacy program. Thank you for your chapter's support and we look forward to seeing you at Leadership Day!