Policy
Capitol Hill Report Capitol Hill Report presents regular updates on legislative and regulatory actions and how the Academy ensures that the voice of neurology is heard on Capitol Hill. It is emailed to US members twice monthly and is posted at AAN.com/view/HillReport. Below are some recent highlights. During the August congressional recess, several AAN members made “Neurology off the Hill” visits to members of Congress in their district offices. Here are some of their experiences. Neal Parikh, MD—New York “I, along with Dr. Janice Weisman, had the pleasure of visiting with Rep. Carolyn Maloney in her district office as part of the Neurology off the Hill initiative. The AAN’s efforts gave us nearly 30 minutes of direct contact with our representative, her chief-of-staff, and even some summer interns! We discussed the FAST Act and NIH funding in great detail and continued the conversation by email after the meeting. The intimate meeting also allowed us a unique window into Rep. Maloney’s passions in a way that will hopefully allow us to more effectively align our priorities with hers.” Kara Stavros, MD—Rhode Island “Participating in Neurology off the Hill was a valuable and empowering experience. My colleagues and I visited Rep. Langevin at his local office in RI. The local visit was longer and more intimate than meeting in his DC office, and it provided us the flexibility to discuss a variety of issues and to bond over our local connections. It was a great way to follow up on the issues we discussed in DC earlier this year (in particular, support for the BRAIN Initiative and the FAST Act) and to continue to build a relationship with Rep. Langevin and his office going forward. Plus, meeting locally allowed more of my colleagues to attend, giving us a more robust delegation and more supportive voices for the issues that matter to us and our patients! This was an invaluable opportunity to speak directly to a member of Congress.” Sarah Song, MD—Illinois “Our in-district visit ‘off the Hill’ was fantastic! A group of stroke neurologists from Rush University Medical Center, Drs. Laurel Cherian, Alex Vargas, Nick Osteraas, and I went to visit Rep. Quigley’s office, located in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, IL. I was the only one with experience doing in-person advocacy, but my three colleagues were excited and eager to participate. Beforehand, we discussed the different issues, and decided to focus on the FAST Act, funding for the BRAIN initiative, and support for any health care legislation that advocated for the most Americans covered. We practiced several times, starting with introductions, and leading from issue to issue. On the day of our meeting, we met with Erica Reardon, the district policy advisor. She was very receptive to our conversation, and the newbies did great! I was so impressed with how well they were able to shift talking points and emphasize our asks. Since Rush does quite a bit of telestroke, we also pulled out our cell phones to show her a mock telestroke patient by using mobile technology, so Erica really understood how valuable and timely telestroke could be used. Overall, our meeting was encouraging and promising!” •
Stand up for Neurology! Apply for the 2018 Neurology on the Hill Continued from cover The Academy will cover airfare expenses and hotel accommodations. There is a general registration fee of $150, or $50 for residents, fellows, and members residing in the Washington, DC, area. Encourage your colleagues to apply, as well. Space is limited and fills quickly. Learn more and apply by November 3, 2017, at AAN.com/view/NOH. •
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AANnews • October 2017