Surgeons Assemble On Capitol Hill For Landmark Advocacy Conference -Joint Surgical Advocacy Conference To Be Held March 9-11, 2008, In Washington

Main Category: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery
Also Included In: Ear, Nose and Throat
Article Date: 10 Mar 2008 - 16:00 PDT

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For the first time ever, surgeons from a wide variety of specialties are joining together to create a powerful, unified voice on Capitol Hill at the 2008 Joint Surgical Advocacy Conference (JSAC). The innovative three-day event will host more than 300 physicians from across the nation and focus on critical issues facing the U.S. healthcare system and surgery.

Surgeons will descend on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and avoid looming cuts in physician payments scheduled for July 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009. It is critical that Congress take action immediately to replace the Medicare cuts with positive updates based on practice cost increases, or seniors could face a crisis when accessing the healthcare they need. The Congressional meetings will also provide the opportunity for surgeons to discuss with legislators other important healthcare initiatives impacting their patients and clinical practices.

In addition to one-on-one interactions with their Members of Congress, the physicians will hear from distinguished guests. Attendees will be taught the ins-and-outs of the legislative process from Judy Schneider, a leading authority on Congress, and develop basic lobbying skills from Julius Hobson, Jr., senior policy advisor at Powell Goldstein LLP. Ronald Brownstein, formerly the Los Angeles Times national affairs columnist and now the political director for Atlantic Media Company, will discuss the 2008 election cycle.

Sponsors of the conference include the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Combined, the organizations represent more than 100,000 surgeons nationwide.

Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery