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Physician
Advocacy: Ways to Get Involved
Getting involved in state
and local government is another way for dermatologists to care for
patients and the community. Physician advocacy is a highly effective
way to affect change in the issues important to your patients and
practice. Who better to share experiences and expert viewpoints to help
legislators better understand the impact of proposed policies? It doesn't
take a major time commitment to be an effective advocate. Despite busy
schedules, there is a lot that physicians can do to shape the future of
medicine.
Tips for
Communicating with Legislators
Get to
Know Your Legislators
Take advantage of
opportunities to meet your legislators. Attend town hall meetings,
fundraising events, or other civic activities. At GSD events, there are
usually opportunities to meet one or more Georgia legislators. Though
these individuals may or may not represent your district, they are friends
of medicine and key players in the issues facing dermatology.
Offer Your Opinion
Write or call your legislators. Some
legislators consider receiving comments from as few as a dozen
constituents an overwhelming response to an issue.
See Tips
for Communicating with Legislators.
Stay
Informed
The most focused and
relevant sources of information about policy issues that affect you and
your patients will come from the professional associations to which you
belong. The Georgia Society of Dermatologists is very
active in the Georgia General Assembly and sends regular updates and
alerts to members. These updates are sent electronically via Email.
They describe the current posture of active bills, key legislators
involved with each bill, and what actions from physicians will be the most
effective.
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