Whether urology’s interests are served depends on you

Based on a partnership with Urology Times, articles from the American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU) provide updates on legislative processes and issues affecting urologists. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Contact the AACU government affairs office at 847-517-1050 or info@aacuweb.org for more information.

In socioeconomic sessions at urology meetings, e-mail alerts transmitted before critical votes in Congress, or solicitations for political action committee donations, urologists are frequently reminded: “If you’re not at the table, you’ll be on the menu.” Conjuring up Norman Rockwell’s famous “Freedom from Want” painting, one might envision Uncle Bob the Bureaucrat carving into urology’s interests and distributing pieces among smiling relatives who have made their voices heard. In 2014, whether urology is “served up” or served alongside other professions is largely dependent on individual action.

Organizations including the American Association of Clinical Urologists offer myriad opportunities for urologists to be heard. Committing the payment for one initial office visit per month to UROPAC will go far to increase the influence of urology’s voice on Capitol Hill. Clicking through on action alerts to send a pre-drafted message to members of your legislature before they vote to restrict access to vital health screenings only takes a few seconds out of your demanding day. You might demonstrate a greater commitment by inviting elected officials or their high-level staff to visit your practice or department so they can better understand the true value of cutting-edge urologic care. Finally, attending a urology-centric policy event such as the 2014 Joint Advocacy Conference empowers a single urologist with information and training that may shape the art and science of medicine long into the future.

The 2014 Joint Advocacy Conference will serve as the launching ground for proactive campaigns on urology’s legislative priorities. Updates on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act will impart information that academic, employed, and independent urologists may leverage to advance research and enhance patient care. Attendees will take a peek under the tent with assistance from insiders who know how Congress really works. Grassroots mobilization techniques will be tested to ensure urologists involve their patients, drug reps, and physician colleagues in service of common objectives.

Nationally known speakers on politics, payment reform, and the medical liability environment promise to make the 2014 Joint Advocacy Conference a worthwhile investment of time. Special insight will no doubt be shared by UROPAC-sponsored luncheon speaker, Michael Barone. Mr. Barone is senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner and a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a contributor to Fox News Channel and co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.”

Visit www.jac2014.org to learn more and register for the conference. And never hesitate to share action alerts and take part in grassroots campaigns such as theAACU's mobilization against a bill that would restrict access to patient-centered, integrated urologic care. 

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