Melissa Ferrari, CAE
Executive Director
Let me take you back a few weeks … in late October, ACPM hosted members in Washington, D.C., for a few event-filled days. From honoring Past President Daniel S. Blumenthal with the annual lecture to engaging with our newly created Past Presidents Council to exploring the strategic direction of the College with leadership to conducting Board business at the fall meeting, it was an invigorating few days to spend time with our members and continue to get inspired by their passion for the specialty and for ACPM.
While I can share highlights for each of these events, there is one moment that jumped started our time together, captures the essence of what we strive to do every day, and honestly, made my eyes a little watery! This reflection comes from a meeting on Capitol Hill with Congressional staff … and is a story worth sharing.
In our ongoing efforts to highlight and advocate for the specialty of preventive medicine, ACPM, in collaboration with Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), supported the development of a briefing on the accomplishments, needs and opportunities to improve the preventive health workforce. The panel was slated to share ways to improve patient care, address workforce challenges and explore opportunities to transform our health system to focus on prevention and wellness. However, as the federal government shutdown continued, the briefing was unfortunately postponed. As the old saying goes, “when one door closes, another one opens.”
Equally disappointed in having to postpone the event, Rep. Buchanan’s office invited an ACPM delegation to meet with the Congressman’s health aide. While it could have been “just another meeting on the Hill,” this gathering had a different vibe from the beginning.
Nearly 15 members gathered in the halls and filed into the Congressman’s office, with its antique and original furniture, numerous photos, signed legislation and awards on the walls, and an incredible view of the Capitol Dome. However, it wasn’t the view or the stature of the office that left its mark … it was the circle of preventive medicine physicians who so passionately and eloquently shared their story, demonstrated the breadth and depth of the specialty, and clearly communicated the importance of preventive medicine and the need to prioritize prevention and wellness to improve the health of our country.
From past presidents, PMR program directors, published authors, academics, former military, clinicians, public health officials – at all levels, pharmacovigilance overseers, health systems managers to trainees, each had a unique story to highlight the impact of prevention and the need to focus on well care vs. sick care and to train more physicians in communities and outside of hospitals.
Knowing the members in this meeting individually, I am well aware of their many contributions, passion for prevention and public health, and how they work to support ACPM. However, the power of the collective was incredible. It was not only a visual of what this community of physicians have and can do, but also a testimonial to the role of preventive medicine.
The Congressman’s health aide was fully engaged, slightly speechless and inspired by the discussion. She reemphasized the need for chronic disease prevention, military readiness and all the pieces that go into turning these concepts not only into a reality, but also into the accepted norm for our healthcare system. As she shared thoughts on the tenets of prevention, the need for increased funding and support for the preventive health workforce, and how all of this needs to come together – must come together – to improve the health of our country, she paused, had a slight smile come across her face and noted, “Who am I telling? You all are sitting here thinking … ‘Welcome to the party!’” Indeed!
It’s moments and meetings like these that demonstrate the shift in awareness around the specialty and underscores the importance of the preventive medicine community — not only coming together to create a stronger, louder voice but also to make a difference in the health and well-being of so many. It is an honor to join you in this charge!
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