REGULAR CONTENT
Final ID
447
Type
Original Scientific Research-Oral or Pos
Authors
J Huang1, K Patel2, J Brown3, A Klobuka4, M Moussa5, J Donaldson6, M Drabkin7, A Alikhani8, P Rotolo9, J Prologo10, M Englander11, W Culp5, D Huynh12, A Misono13
Institutions
1Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 2Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 3VCU MCVH, Henrico, VA, 4University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 5UAMS, Little Rock, AR, 6Cleveland Clinic, Hudson, OH, 7Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, NY, 8University of Tennessee Memphis, Memphis, TN, 9MCVI, Pittsburgh, PA, 10Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 11Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, 12SIR, Fairfax, VA, 13Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Purpose
Advocacy efforts are critical to the future of interventional radiology (IR). Congressional site visits allow IRs to educate policymakers about their work and purpose. This case study systematically analyzes logistics and strategy behind successful site visits.
Materials & Methods
A 5-part questionnaire was distributed to SIR and SIR RFS members who previously attempted and/or successfully arranged Congressional site visits at their hospitals (n=7). Questionnaires were subsequently analyzed for key learnings.
Results
The response rate was 86% (n=6). The respondents attempted a total of 7 site visits: 5 successful, 1 currently underway, and 1 unsuccessful.Initial contact between the respondent and congressperson was via the SIRPAC Grassroots Leadership Program (n=6; 86%) and hospital based outreach program (n=1; 14%). Common themes for success included utilization of SIRPAC Leadership, involvement of hospital government affairs, and physician-initiated outreach to political offices. Several obstacles were identified. Three (43%) respondents were not aware of hospital government affairs at first, resulting in wasted time and concessions down the line. Internal hospital politics between provider groups and between providers and administration can torpedo efforts, as it did in one case (14%). Beware pitfalls including a need for HIPAA compliance, patient consent, avoiding gifts, and mundane factors such as parking availability.All respondents (100%) emphasized the need for concise, clearly outlined agenda for the visit, which may include less than an hour of Congressional face time. Proactive management of scheduled procedures may allow the Congressperson to observe more easily understood cases (e.g. kyphoplasty). Post-site visit thank you notes and continued contact between SIRPAC leadership and the office of the congressperson were commonplace (100%).
Conclusions
Advocacy is critical for future success of IR in an increasingly complicated healthcare marketplace. Congressional site visits may be executed with a high rate of success, leveraging the learnings of prior SIR and SIR RFS experiences.
Final ID
447
Type
Original Scientific Research-Oral or Pos
Authors
J Huang1, K Patel2, J Brown3, A Klobuka4, M Moussa5, J Donaldson6, M Drabkin7, A Alikhani8, P Rotolo9, J Prologo10, M Englander11, W Culp5, D Huynh12, A Misono13
Institutions
1Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 2Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 3VCU MCVH, Henrico, VA, 4University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 5UAMS, Little Rock, AR, 6Cleveland Clinic, Hudson, OH, 7Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, NY, 8University of Tennessee Memphis, Memphis, TN, 9MCVI, Pittsburgh, PA, 10Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 11Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, 12SIR, Fairfax, VA, 13Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Purpose
Advocacy efforts are critical to the future of interventional radiology (IR). Congressional site visits allow IRs to educate policymakers about their work and purpose. This case study systematically analyzes logistics and strategy behind successful site visits.
Materials & Methods
A 5-part questionnaire was distributed to SIR and SIR RFS members who previously attempted and/or successfully arranged Congressional site visits at their hospitals (n=7). Questionnaires were subsequently analyzed for key learnings.
Results
The response rate was 86% (n=6). The respondents attempted a total of 7 site visits: 5 successful, 1 currently underway, and 1 unsuccessful.Initial contact between the respondent and congressperson was via the SIRPAC Grassroots Leadership Program (n=6; 86%) and hospital based outreach program (n=1; 14%). Common themes for success included utilization of SIRPAC Leadership, involvement of hospital government affairs, and physician-initiated outreach to political offices. Several obstacles were identified. Three (43%) respondents were not aware of hospital government affairs at first, resulting in wasted time and concessions down the line. Internal hospital politics between provider groups and between providers and administration can torpedo efforts, as it did in one case (14%). Beware pitfalls including a need for HIPAA compliance, patient consent, avoiding gifts, and mundane factors such as parking availability.All respondents (100%) emphasized the need for concise, clearly outlined agenda for the visit, which may include less than an hour of Congressional face time. Proactive management of scheduled procedures may allow the Congressperson to observe more easily understood cases (e.g. kyphoplasty). Post-site visit thank you notes and continued contact between SIRPAC leadership and the office of the congressperson were commonplace (100%).
Conclusions
Advocacy is critical for future success of IR in an increasingly complicated healthcare marketplace. Congressional site visits may be executed with a high rate of success, leveraging the learnings of prior SIR and SIR RFS experiences.