SurgeonsVoice is the American College of Surgeons Professional Association's (ACSPA) nationwide, interactive advocacy program that provides surgeons with the tools to strengthen its impact in Congress and around the country. Fellows hold a seamless membership to both the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and ACSPA.
By learning more, you are one step closer to becoming a surgeon advocate! Utilizing the extensive tools and resources available through SurgeonsVoice you can:
Become a surgeon advocate. Online resources available via SurgeonsVoice allow surgeons to engage and build valuable relationships with lawmakers, advance pro-surgery policy and legislation, and help foster champions for surgery on Capitol Hill.
Become an HPAC member. The Health Policy Advisory Council (HPAC) is responsible for fostering an extensive grassroots advocacy network throughout the Fellowship of the ACS. HPAC members—surgeon advocates—have developed expertise on legislative, political, and regulatory issues in order to serve as a two-way communication pathway between Fellows at-large and the ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy, and to mentor future members of other health care committees.
Take action. Taking action on issues of importance to you is vital to make your voice heard in Washington. More specifically, regularly engaging with members of Congress and their staff and serving as a trusted resource on issues of importance to surgeons and the surgical patient is an essential part of establishing yourself as a surgeon advocate.
Learn about your legislators. Understanding your representatives or senators backgrounds, key committee assignments, voting history, and/or relevant leadership roles or caucuses they sit on will help you establish a level of respect within an office. Regularly visiting their websites, signing up for e-newsletters or updates, and keeping up with issues they support are great ways to stay informed.
Follow us! The SurgeonsVoice Twitter account regularly tweets on issues of importance to the surgical community. The DAHP encourages grassroots advocates to become followers of the @SurgeonsVoice account, to engage with us, and to “retweet” messages to help us spread the word.
Invest in SurgeonsPAC. Political action starts with the American College of Surgeons Professional Association Political Action Committee, ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC, which provides nonpartisan financial support to elect and re-elect members of Congress who support and are positioned to advocate on behalf of our legislative issues. Consider a contribution to SurgeonsPAC today to help elect pro-surgery representatives and senators who have the ability to affect the future of surgery, surgical patients, and the practice environment.
For more information about SurgeonsVoice or the Health Policy Advisory Council, contact Michael Carmody, Congressional Affairs Coordinator, or Katie Oehmen, Manager, ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC and Grassroots.