INSIDE WVSMA
Physicians Mark Advocacy Day Meeting with Legislators
Physicians , mostly wearing white coats emblazoned with the WVSMA logo , fanned out to the capitol to visit delegates and senators from their respective districts . As a group , they met with Senator Tom Takubo , a Kanawha County physician and West Virginia Senate majority leader , who praised them for their active participation in the legislative process and encouraged them to be vigilant in their vaccine fight and other issues affecting the physician / patient relationship .
Physicians throughout West Virginia gathered in Charleston on February 8 and 9 to make their voices heard on important issues affecting the health of patients statewide . On February 8 , physicians , along with other healthcare providers — including representatives of the West Virginia Hospital Association , West Virginia Healthcare Association , and West Virginia Behavioral Healthcare Providers Association — met informally with legislators and their colleagues at the Cultural Center in Charleston , WV . This reception allowed legislators , physicians , and their colleagues from other healthcare disciplines to exchange ideas particularly relevant to the current legislative session .
Individually and in small groups , physicians met with the legislature ’ s healthcare leaders to discuss immunizations and other pertinent issues . Those attending were introduced from the galleries of the West Virginia House of Delegates and West Virginia Senate , while each legislative body was in session and praised for their service to the people of West Virginia .
Following the legislative meetings , Dr . Costello and Dr . Joe Prud ’ homme , chairman of WESPAC , the WVMA ’ s political action committee , met with fourth year medical students participating in a WVSMA legislative rotation to discuss effective advocacy strategies .
Each stressed the importance of building continuing , lifelong relationships as the most effective way to influence policy . Dr . Costello noted her initial legislative rotation as a medical student exposed her to the importance of effective advocacy and has had a great influence on her career as a physician .
Dr . Prud ’ homme stressed the need to work closely with legislative staff members as well as elected representatives and to financially support candidates through individual and political action committee contributions that share the same interests as physicians .
On February 9 , physicians met at West Virginia State Medical Association ( WVSMA ) headquarters to strategize about how to best convey their message to legislators . WVSMA President Dr . Lisa Costello explained this year ’ s primary legislative goal of preserving West Virginia ’ s current immunization laws , which allow only for medical exemptions . Other states , with less stringent laws allowing for non-medical exemptions , often have breakouts of vaccine-preventable diseases not experienced in West Virginia .
Image : WV Legislative Photography , Photos by Will Price .
AUTHOR
John Law , Executive Director , West Virginia State Medical Association
12 • www . wvsma . org