SPA Annual Meeting Reviews
Session I - PEDx: HOW TO: Advocacy for ALL Physician Anesthesiologists
Reviewed by Sharon Ashley, MD, MPH, MBA, FASA
Professor, University of California, Davis
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Dr. Ashley |
HOW TO: Advocacy for ALL Physician Anesthesiologists
Jennifer R. Dollar, MD, FASA
Jennifer R. Dollar, MD, FASA (Children’s Hospital of Alabama) began by presenting the learning objectives:
- Describe advocacy issues specific to anesthesiology.
- Define advocacy opportunities for physician anesthesiologists at the local, state, and national levels.
- Motivate physician anesthesiologists to become involved at the local, state and/or national levels.
Dr. Dollar made one disclosure: It is not enough to only provide excellent and outstanding clinical care. All physicians must engage in advocacy on behalf of their patients. She suggested that we can become advocates at many different levels, and she discussed the ’Alphabet Soup of Advocacy.’ There are so many organizations that we can join to make a difference. She urged us all to get involved.
Dr. Dollar cautioned that we should beware of procrastination which is the major roadblock to success in all aspects of life and advocacy. These are the suggested steps for advocacy:
Step 1: Presence - We have to show up and be recognized. Become a member of your hospital committees and local societies. We have to increase our presence on all levels.
Step2: Engage – Do something daily and become an ALLY.
Step 3: Mentor – We can mentor at many levels including future anesthesiologists, peers, experienced colleagues.
Dr. Dollar stated that there is value in mentorship, and we should measure how much impact can be made. We can do this by encouraging residents in training to participate in national and state medical societies. We should all support the political action committees (PAC) and Dr. Dollar presented a slide which showed the programs which had 100% participation in ASAPAC.
She asked a great question: “What type of ’better‘ advocacy will you strive for in the world?” Dr. Dollar left us with a quote submitted by Michele Norris in an August 5, 2020 podcast featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama:
“But there’s such an incredible opportunity, to decide how you want to show up in the new world. Because it will be a new world. And my greatest hope is that we don’t reach for normal, that we reach for better.”
