9-22-08
2008 Capitol Hill Day: Record Attendance and Legislative Success
Stephanie Yamkovenko
Nearly 200 practitioners and students attended this year’s Capitol Hill Day—the largest turnout in more than 10 years—on Monday, September 22. University students, the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) Board of Directors and Chairperson Amy Lamb, and state association presidents traveled to Washington, D.C. from across the country—some as far as California—to meet with their representatives on Capitol Hill to promote occupational therapy. Towson University in Maryland had the largest turnout, with more than 50 students attending the event.
After a packed and standing-room-only legislative briefing, students and practitioners made hundreds of visits to members of Congress to advocate for the occupational therapy profession and to discuss health policy.
During the morning briefing, attendees learned about the major issues affecting occupational therapy and bills that AOTA supports, such as the Mental Health Parity Act and the Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act, to help focus the discussions with their representatives. Evidence of the effectiveness of visits to Capitol Hill and political advocacy for the profession was demonstrated the next day, when both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed Mental Health Parity legislation.
Capitol Hill Day attendees had the opportunity to hear Heather Parsons, an occupational therapist and the Legislative Director for Congressman Brad Miller (D-NC), speak about the importance of being politically active for the profession of occupational therapy. Parsons urged the students and practitioners to use their occupational therapy skills in providing education to inform and influence policy.
The most important message for attendees to bring to their members of Congress was what occupational therapy is and how it benefits consumers and society. Some attendees were able to continue this conversation Monday night at several political fund-raisers.
After the events on the Hill, students from St. Francis University in Pennsylvania toured the AOTA headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. The student tour will become a formal part of Capitol Hill Day next year for all interested attendees.
Due to the success of the event and the record-breaking attendance, AOTA is considering hosting two Capitol Hill Day events in 2009, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Political advocacy has the ability to influence the public policy that can affect practitioners on a daily basis, and Capitol Hill Day is a great way to get students and practitioners involved in this process. “[Advocacy is] about opening doors and having supporters in Washington to help prevent bad policies from being established,” says Lamb. “It promotes initiatives to move the profession forward.”
Stephanie Yamkovenko is AOTA’s staff writer.
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