APMA News - September/October 2016 - 28

A CPA Takes Scope Battle to State Legislators PMA's Center for Professional Advocacy (CPA) attended the 2016 National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Chicago in August as part of its ongoing efforts to advance the profession. NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths, and territories, and its Legislative Summit is the largest gathering in the nation of state legislators and their staff. CPA staff was joined by APMA Trustee and CPA Advisory Group Member Laura J. Pickard, DPM, and Illinois Podiatric Medical Association Past President and APMA Delegate for Illinois Jondelle Jenkins, DPM. The NCSL meeting provides CPA an opportunity to educate legislators and their staff about the podiatric medical profession and discuss the education, training, and experience of podiatric physicians and surgeons. During this year's Illinois Podiatric Medical Association Past President Jondelle Jenkins, DPM, speaks about Medicaid issues with Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons. Legislative Summit, CPA targeted its efforts at legislators from Alabama, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina, because these jurisdictions limit podiatrists' scope of practice to the foot. CPA also urged legislators from all states and territories to support legislation recognizing podiatrists as physicians. Overall, legislators were supportive of podiatrists, and CPA encourages state components and members to continue advocating for the profession. Participation at the NCSL meeting is one example of CPA's efforts to help state components update state scope-of-practice laws and advance legislation that identifies podiatrists as physicians. APMA has developed tools and resources to help members and state components educate state legislators, available at www.apma.org/forpolicymakers and www.apma. org/scopeofpractice. n APMA Trustee Laura Pickard, DPM, poses with Nebraska state legislator and podiatrist Robert Hilkemann, DPM, and his wife, Julie. Jondelle Jenkins, DPM, thanks Alabama State Rep. Jack Williams for supporting podiatric medicine in Alabama. CPA's New Initiatives CPA is introducing two new advocacy initiatives. First, APMA will host a Scope-of-Practice Advocacy Summit in December to foster collaboration among state component leaders in states that limit scope of practice to the foot. Second, CPA will award innovation grants to components in states that already include the ankle and lower leg in their scope of practice, but still need updates. (Information about how to apply will be available soon; contact CPA with questions at advocacy@apma.org.) The 28 APMA News September/October 2016 ultimate goals of these efforts are to ensure all state laws reflect podiatrists' education, training, and experience, and to advance physician definition legislation in the states. CPA continues to be available to state components to assist in their state legal, legislative, and regulatory advocacy efforts. More about CPA is available at www.apma.org/cpa. http://www.apma.org/forpolicymakers http://www.apma.org/scopeofpractice http://www.apma.org/scopeofpractice http://www.apma.org/cpa

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - September/October 2016