APMA News - July/August 2017 - 19

Utah State Representative Justin Fawson (R) spoke to 2017 State
Advocacy Forum attendees about how to find a champion in their own
state legislature.

moving in so they can ensure care by podiatrists is included
in future state Medicaid reforms.
During the Scope of Practice and Physician Definition panel,
APMA unveiled its Innovation Grants to help state components
with their scope of practice and physician definition advocacy
efforts, as well as their efforts to educate and build relationships
with MD/DOs, policymakers, and payers. More information is
available at www.apma.org/innovation. During the panel discussion, state component leaders from California, Maryland,
and Oregon discussed their experiences in advancing professional parity by updating scope-of-practice laws in their state.
The "lessons learned" emphasized the importance of developing
grassroots advocacy and building relationships with legislators.
During the open discussion, attendees had the opportunity
to discuss current state issues and strategize with their colleagues. Many states share the same concerns, such as ensuring podiatrists can supervise physician extenders and obtaining commensurate hospital privileges based on a podiatrist's
education, training, and experience.
After a deep dive into the issues affecting the profession,
the meeting concluded with a presentation from state component leaders from Michigan, North Carolina, and Utah. The
leaders provided examples of how they effectively used grassroots advocacy, state PACs, and relationships with MDs/DOs
to advance their legislative agendas.
APMA also debuted its new grassroots training video
(www.apma.org/advocacyvideo) to help podiatrists engage
with their federal and state legislators.
n
For more information about APMA's State Advocacy
efforts, contact CPA at advocacy@apma.org.

Nebraska State Senator Robert Hilkemann, DPM, spoke to his peers
on the importance of having the voice of a podiatric physician in the
state legislature.

Five Best Practices for a Successful State Legislative Advocacy Campaign
Utah State Representative Justin Fawson, the primary sponsor of UPMA's Scope of Practice Bill
and son of a podiatrist, imparted his wisdom to attendees on cultivating legislative champions:

Start early.
Support candidates who value free-market
principles and believe medical professionals
should practice at the top of their education,
training, and experience.

Select the right legislator
to run your legislation.
Consider a legislator's committee assignments
and success rate of passing legislation.

Activate association members.
All members must participate and contact their
respective legislators.

Strategize, strategize, strategize.
Make an organized effort with the most appropriate leadership, identifying the best voice to
carry the cumulative message.

Simplify.
Simplify the language in any desired legislation
when developing messaging and advocacy
materials. Make logical arguments over
emotional pleas.

APMA News July/August 2017

http://www.apma.org/innovation http://www.apma.org/advocacyvideo

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - July/August 2017