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Investments in Legislative Advocacy Pay Off for Ohio Association of Rheumatology

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Annual Meeting Additions

OAR and ACR Advocacy Updates will be presented when the 12th Annual Meeting of the OAR convenes Aug. 25 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Two of the key scientific sessions feature Michelle Petri, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and director of the Lupus Center at The Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, who will present an update on SLE and discuss new developments regarding antiphospholipid syndrome. This year’s meeting will also add a new breakout session on practice management and a poster presentation section for fellows.

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Steps for Effective Advocacy

Having worked with state legislators, Dr. Ott furnished some advice to other state rheumatology associations that may be contemplating similar actions:

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  • Know your audience: legislators may not have been medical professionals, so furnish good handouts that clearly explain the issues and problems.
  • Limit your talking points: “At the most, you will have 15–20 minutes with the representative.”
  • Hone your message: “Explain your message as you would to a family member,” Dr. Ott counsels. “Partner with the Arthritis Foundation or include a patient who can present a personal story in a succinct way.”
  • Reach out to the ACR: “If you’re not sure how to effectively advocate, the ACR is more than willing to help you learn these skills.” Dr. Ott suggests contacting the ACR’s Affiliate Society Council, the Insurance Subcommittee or the Government Affairs Committee. Visit the ACR’s Legislative Action Center.
  • Finally, Dr. Ott offers her colleagues the opportunity to reach out to her. “I’m always willing to answer questions to help another state or another person do this,” she says.
  • “I’m a big believer [in the idea] that if we want to really focus on the practice of rheumatology, where we can just take care of patients in the way we feel is best, then we also have to focus on all of the policies that affect that.”

Gretchen Henkel is a medical journalist based in California.

Reference

  1. Omair MA, Alahmadi A, Johnson SR. Safety and effectiveness of mycophenolate in systemic sclerosis. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2015 May 1;10(5):e0124205. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124205. eCollection 2015.

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