White coats in Washington

DO Day 2019: Roughly 1,000 DOs and medical students meet with DC lawmakers

DOs and med students urge Congress to support direct primary care and reauthorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program.

AOA Staff
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DOs and osteopathic medical students from across the country converged in the nation’s capital Tuesday for the AOA’s DO Day on Capitol Hill. They urged members of Congress to support direct primary care and reauthorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program.

“These are both bipartisan measures and I think lawmakers see that they’re important for patients and for our future patients,” said attendee Brad Skene, OMS II, of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, who had meetings with the offices of five Florida legislators.

Other student attendees were also excited to advocate for direct primary care.

“Direct primary care is tremendously beneficial to patients with chronic diseases who have to make a lot of doctor’s visits,” said Sam Berding, OMS I, of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia.

Students and DOs also educated lawmakers about the osteopathic approach to patient care and shared snapshots of their time in DC on social media. Here’s a sampling:

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D.O. Day on the Hill with some great friends and colleagues advocating for osteopathic physicians and especially for our patients! – – – – – #doday19

A post shared by Taran Valdivia Carlisle (@taran__wanderer) on

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Met with reps for Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, and House Representatives for Western Mass James McGovern and Richard Neal. DO day on the hill. #doday19 @com_at_une Advocating for a healthcare system that helps people heal and let’s doctors treat their patients rather then fill out paperwork for insurance companies!

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TIPS fellow @nateovermire in action advocating for increased patient access to direct primary care with @sherrod office #DODay19

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"As physicians, we see social determinants manifest themselves as health outcomes every day. When we bear witness to the stories of our patients, we advocate for policies that help people lead healthier and more productive lives. Students ask me how they can be health advocates and I always advise them to tell their story. Ask for policies that will help you become the physician you write about in your personal statement. Six years ago, I attended my first DO Day on the Hill and since then I've focused my career on studying how policy impacts health outcomes. I'm proud to be a TIPS fellow and to help represent the AOA at #DODay19 on behalf of our patients and profession." -@ryan.nguyendo

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